Covenant House, Canada’s largest shelter for homeless youth, needs your help. They have a small emergency food bank, and young people struggling to live independently rely on it when they are in need. These days, the shelves are looking bare. That’s where we come in: You can help them provide much-needed nourishment by dropping off non-perishable goods at the shelter at 20 Gerrard St. E.

A few easy ways to make a huge difference: 

– Ask guests at your Easter gathering to each bring a canned good with them, and you can collect and drop off the food on behalf of everyone the next day.
– Bring a box to the office and tell everyone to bring things in by the end of the week, and you’ll handle the delivery.  
– Put a box in your kitchen, and ask your roommates to pick up one extra thing each time they run out to grab food. 
– The next time you return empty bottles and cans to the LCBO, take the money you make and hit the grocery store. 
– Friendly with your local barista? Ask to put a box by the cash, and tell them you’ll pick up all the goods at the end of each day. 
– Make it simple: at the office, or the next time you have friends over, ask for a toonie from everyone, then do a grocery run and pick up items from the list below. 

Items that are most in demand.

– Canned tuna, salmon or other meat
– Rice and pasta
– Crackers, cookies, cereals
– Pasta sauce/paste
– Canned vegetables/fruits
– Soup packages/cans
– Coffee, juice

For more information on the struggles of homeless youth, and statistics about youth homelessness in Canada can be found here. To arrange a large drop off of food, call Donor Services at 1-800-435-7308. While they sincerely appreciate the gesture, for health and safety reasons they are unable to accept homemade goods.

~ Haley Cullingham