Steven Moffat works in food. He also knows what it means for kids who miss meals.
He joined a community of helpers last weekend at the Ontario Food Terminal in south Etobicoke to help pack hampers for families, ensuring they have a good meal on Thanksgiving.
Moffat said small acts of helping the community can make a real difference.
“Even if it’s just one thing you’re doing, it helps the community. And this product is getting out into the community, and everybody’s going to have a meal and enjoy their Thanksgiving,” he said.
Moffat, the event organizer and vice president of finance for North American Produce, said seeing the food every day is what inspired him to give back to the community.
“Knowing it can be distributed out into the community to help people gives me a great sense of satisfaction,” Moffat said. “And being able to give fresh food grown over the summer to give back to the community is important.”
He said he enjoys seeing the group of people work as a whole. And work they did, as about 150 volunteers packed 1,000 food hampers in about an hour.
The Children’s Breakfast Clubs have been helping feed children for 40 years. It began in the Jane Street-Falstaff Avenue area in 1984 and has since grown to 43 clubs.
The non-profit provides about 10,000 meals a week in 40 communities across Southern Ontario.
Rick Gosling, president and founder of Toronto’s Children’s Breakfast Club, said food insecurity is what brought the need for this event to light.
“We feed our children breakfast every morning, but we know how food insecurity has become a bigger, bigger issue,” he said. “So, we want our families to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving in a meaningful way and enjoy it.”
Food Banks Canada reports that one in four people don’t have access to adequate food supplies. It reported that 2.16 million visits were made to food banks in March 2025 in Canada, and that one-third of food bank users are children.
Gosling said the effort by the Children’s Breakfast Club helps build communities, “make people raise their self-esteem, respect and support each other.’’
Inspector Jeff Bangild, of Toronto Police 22 Division, said officers from his division take part in the event every year.
“It was important for me to be here to assist my officers who are in terms helping my community as well,” Bangild said.
Staff Sergeant Alan Fazeli, also with 22 Division, said being part of this event was important to him.
“I live in this community. I work in this community and I think it’s a great thing to give back to the same community. So that’s why I felt the need to come this morning and give some of my time,” Fazeli said.
Jeffrey Scott has worked with the Breakfast Club for five years, said this event makes a difference in the community.
“We know in our society today there's many people that need help. And the reality is without this organization there's going to be people that won't have enough on the table for Thanksgiving,” Scott said. “It's just a nice added step to help them to feel that people care and give them a chance to be thankful too.”
Tyler Heimbecker, who volunteers with 22 Division’s Rover Crew program, a partnership between Toronto Police, Humber Polytechnic and Scouts Canada and helps young people explore law enforcement careers, said he thought this day was a good event.
“I just thought it would be a good event. I’ve heard good things so that’s why we are here. We’re just here to help out,” Heimbecker said.
Zanana Akande supporting the Breakfast Club provides a positive impact to the community. But it also teaches a lesson.
“It's always nice to see the kids and their families when they're doing something that not only entertains them but benefits the community. It’s a thing that they learn through these processes that we hope that they’ll continue when they’re adults,” she said.
Akande said the day’s event “helps those in need and produces people who are learning to give back and take care of each other.”
Bangild said seeing how the organization is giving back to the community and the community is filled with pride strongly motivates him.
“I love the fact that we are giving back, and we can see the pride in people's faces who are here, that are assisting knowing what they're doing is giving back to the community,” he said.
Scott said everyone has smiles on their faces and supports one another.
“There’s definitely some feeling of joy and happiness that you feel because you see other people doing the same thing you are, and having that commonality of being supportive,” he said, emphasizing that giving is better than receiving.
Scott said getting involved in a program like the Breakfast Club helps not only the community but those who contribute to the community.
“You feel the void or something that’s missing that you have, well you’re actually helping someone else so it replaces that void that you feel with being able to give and it feels like you’re being given,” he said.
Akande said it’s the empathy that she likes to see in this event.
“I like to see people who are concerned about others. I like to see those who are trying to help those who have a rough time, and we encourage them and help them out,” Akande said.
She said to be involved you need to keep your ears and eyes opened to know what’s happening so you can help.
Scott said he comes back to this event as the feeling you get after knowing that you help out with others who have the same interest is the greatest feeling.
Fazeli encourages everyone to find time to volunteer and feel good about themselves.
“As busy as you are, even if you spend half an hour here or an hour there, even if you give an hour or two a month, you’re making a contribution to the community that we all live in,” Fazeli said.
