As a funeral and cemetery provider, we understand how devastating the pandemic has been on GTA communities. We see firsthand when our neighbours are struggling, and the last two years have made that clearer than ever. “Food insecurity,” a term used to describe a family or individual’s inability to rely on where their next meals will come from, has become a critical challenge across our communities. In 2021 we committed to giving back to fight this hidden crisis, and we’re proud to continue that contribution in 2022.

Many food banks have seen the need for their services double, triple or even quadruple during the pandemic. Meanwhile, they are also dealing with additional challenges like fewer volunteers, complexities associated with social distancing and increased costs for PPE and other protective equipment. These issues remain just as pressing as they were in 2021, so for a second year in a row we’re donating $270,000 to local food banks. Thirty-six food banks will receive $7,500 each to help them meet the need for their services in their local communities – the full list of organizations is available at the bottom of this page.

One such example is Weston Area Emergency Support, which saw an average of 660 visits each month prior to the pandemic. By March of 2021, they were averaging more than 2,200 and that upward trend has continued into 2022. Not only has there been an increase in visits, but the demographics accessing food have also evolved. Prior to COVID about 49% of the households supported were single individuals. That demographic now represents about 35% while families, many multigenerational, are now the biggest household type, and the percentage of seniors seeking support has doubled from 8% to 16%.

Wherever possible, donations will be hand delivered safely to food banks by staff from the local Mount Pleasant Group cemetery or funeral home. At the end of the day, we believe that neighbours don’t let neighbours go hungry. We are proud to contribute to such remarkable organizations in our community, and humbled by the dedication of their staff.

“COVID brought massive challenges to our community and our food bank. And while we’re all tired of the pandemic, the increased need we are seeing at the Weston Area Emergency Support food bank is not going away. We are grateful for the support of Mount Pleasant Group and of our community, which continues to provide invaluable support to our food bank.”

– Diana Stapleton, Chair Weston Area Emergency Support