- Over 4 million Ontarians are food insecure
- More than one million Ontarians relied on food banks last year, making 8.7 million visits
- $10 million gift from the Slaight family will support six organizations working to keep communities fed
December 10, 2025 (Toronto, ON) – As food bank use reaches record levels in Ontario and across the Greater Toronto Area, the Slaight family is committing $10 million to help keep communities fed in Toronto, the GTA and across Canada.
The gift will be shared among six organizations on the frontlines of food insecurity: Daily Bread Food Bank, Food Banks Canada, Right to Food, Second Harvest, The Stop Community Food Centre and United Way Greater Toronto. Working through their local, regional and national networks, these organizations will help make sure food reaches people and neighbourhoods facing the greatest pressure and will strengthen the broader response to hunger.
Recent reports show that more than four million people in Ontario are food insecure. Within that, more than one million people turned to food banks last year, making 8.7 million visits across the province. For many households, rising rents, food prices and other basic costs mean that after paying for housing and utilities, there is little left for groceries.
Over many years, the Slaight family has focused its philanthropy on practical supports that reach people directly. In the food sector, that has meant sustained support for food banks, food rescue and community food programs in communities across Canada. This new commitment builds on that history, reflects the family’s belief that no one in this country should have to worry about their next meal, and arrives at a moment when renewed investment can shift what is possible for front line organizations.
The six organizations will use the Slaight family’s gift to purchase and distribute food, support local agencies and meal programs, and strengthen community-based responses to hunger across Canada. The funding will help stabilize existing programs, seed new approaches where gaps are greatest, and give agencies more room to plan beyond crisis mode.
Gary Slaight, speaking on behalf of the Slaight familyOur family cares deeply about people and community. Knowing that so many of our neighbours are turning to food banks just to get through the month is something we cannot ignore. We have seen how these organizations stretch every dollar, every delivery and every volunteer hour to keep their communities fed. Our hope is that this gift helps ease some of the pressure on families right now and encourages others to stand behind food security in their own communities.
Heather McDonald, President and CEO, United Way Greater TorontoAcross the GTA, we are seeing levels of demand that community food programs were never meant to carry alone. The Slaight family’s gift will help move more good food into the neighbourhoods feeling the strain most and steady the agencies people count on every day. It is an investment in people’s dignity right now and in the longer work that United Way Greater Toronto and our partners are leading to tackle the affordability and food security crisis, so that fewer people are forced to rely on food banks to get by.
Kirstin Beardsley, Chief Executive Officer of Food Banks CanadaAs the leader in addressing food insecurity in Canada, we witness every day the profound impact it has on people across the country. The need for food banks has doubled in just six years, and with nearly 2.2 million people turning to them this month alone, the demand for support has never been greater. We are deeply grateful to the Slaight Family for this generous funding, which will strengthen and empower food banks across the country to expand infrastructure, enhance capacity, and improve access where it’s needed most.
In a year when need is rising faster than most agencies can keep up with, this commitment from the Slaight family gives front line organizations room to breathe, plan and reach more people. It helps meet the urgency of this moment and gives communities a stronger footing to build longer term solutions, so that in a region as prosperous as Toronto and the GTA, more families can cover the basics, and fewer parents have to choose between paying the rent and putting food on the table.
For all media inquiries, please reach out to:
Meetu Madahar
Manager, Communications
United Way Greater Toronto
(416) 817-4668
mmadahar@uwgt.org
About United Way: As the largest non-government funder of community services in the GTA, United Way Greater Toronto reinforces a crucial community safety net to support people living in poverty. United Way’s network of agencies and initiatives in neighbourhoods across Peel, Toronto and York Region works to ensure that everyone has access to the programs and services they need to thrive. Mobilizing community support, United Way’s work is rooted in ground-breaking research, strategic leadership, local advocacy and cross-sectoral partnerships committed to building a more equitable region and lasting solutions to the GTA’s greatest challenges.