The DeLish Bite

Have you heard of THE STOP? If not, it's about time you did. The Stop is a community food centre located in the Davenport West neighborhood in Toronto. Initiated in the mid 1970's, it has been fighting hunger and poverty in Toronto for over 30 years. The organization is made up of many impassioned volunteers and employees, who work tirelessly to fight food insecurity and make healthy food more accessible to everyone, by challenging inequality, maintaining dignity and building a sense of community. The Stop's programs and services focus on the ways food can bring people together to break down social isolation and improve quality of life. Some of The Stop's core programs include: Food bank: members receive a 2-3 day supply of food once a month Drop-in programs: nutritious meals and activities that help reduce social isolation, as well as information on social issues and community resources Urban agriculture: year-round organic food production and environmental education initiative Healthy beginnings: a perinatal nutrition and support program for low-income pregnant women Family support program: one-on-one peer support for families with newborns Community kitchens: communal cooking groups that bring people together to learn, cook, eat and socialize Cross Town Kitchens: Dinner in Support of The Stop Community Food Centre Farmers' Market: at the Church of St. Michael & All Angels The Stop is not stopping there. They have many exciting future plans which not only include the release of The Stop Cookbook which will hopefully be on sale Nationally this coming Spring (I am privileged to be the food stylist for this exciting project, which we are currently working on) but, they are also fulfilling a dream to create a 'Green Barn' in the Wychwood Car Barns Park. This Green Barn will essentially be a large greenhouse which will serve as a centre for year-round gardening and will include a protected garden and neighborhood bake oven and host many community programs and environmental education. Eager to learn more, donate to this exciting company or become a volunteer? Visit their website at http://www.thestop.org