As the COVID-19 pandemic grew across the world, arriving in Canada and leading to our lockdown, food insecurity grew right along with it. Our friends and colleagues at Brampton Crematorium and Visitation Centre were working hard to do their part and they teamed up with Global Medic and Hand Up Toronto “Feed the Six”. 

Realizing that we were also going to be staying open, it was really important to us to pitch in and lend a hand. With that in mind, we put out the call for volunteers so we could join the effort and help make meal kits to feed the 6ix. 

Blown away by the response from our community, we had to turn down volunteers due to lack of social distance space; and in the end we had 10 people (including two volunteer drivers) who helped us throughout this awesome day. Bloomen donated food, as well as our space for an afternoon of kit-creation. We measured and packed food and assembled kits in our warehouse, resulting in 1000lbs that we helped distribute to families in need across the GTA. 

This brilliant idea uses food that was purchased in bulk, then re-packaged by volunteers to create  family-sized portions of meal ingredients. The kits include green & red lentils, chickpeas, pearl barley, kidney beans, green peas and rice. They’re then delivered to pick-up points where participants can pick up their kits, or for those who are isolated or cannot access the ‘points’ they are delivered by volunteers using contact-less delivery.