Give a Little and make a BIG difference!

During the time of year when the hustle and bustle of holiday parties and trips to the mall are keeping us all busy please take a moment to remember those who may be struggling to put food on their tables. Make a financial donation or donate some non-perishable food so that we can help feed those in need, especially at Christmas.
Over 18600 people in our community visit food banks each month with 8100 of them children, together we can make a difference.
Contact Hamilton Food Share for details about how you can contribute this Christmas
905-664-9065
www.hamiltonfoodshare.org

Stoney Creek Warriors Jr. B Hockey Club

Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others? - Martin Luther King

This past Sunday allowed me to meet some great young boys living, working and playing in our community. Ric Nattress, Head Coach of the Stoney Creek Warriors Jr. B Hockey club brought his entire team out to help harvest carrots for Hamilton Food Share and the local food banks. They came despite the cold and the fact that they had just finished their third game in 3 nights. It was great to see them dive right in and work together to bring in over 3000lbs in only about 2 hours!
It was an opportunity that I am sure they will remember and hopefully will participate in again. Good leadership from their coach will not only help them succeed on the ice but also in their lives and communities.

Thanks so much Stoney Creek Warriors for your hard work

Hamilton Harvest - Growing a Solution to Hunger

We are in the thick of harvest season and the support and generosity towards the program is amazing. The large group of volunteers from the City of Hamilton Community Services Department gave their time to harvest carrots on October 16th, it was a beautiful sunny fall day filled with laughter, hard work and a sense of community. The next few weeks will see more community groups such as a class from Cardinal Newman High School and also the Stoney Creek Junior B Hockey Team coming out to help harvest and bring fresh produce through the doors of Hamilton Food Share.
So many amazing photos and articles have been produced from these events and the word about the program is getting out!
Look for articles in the Spectator and the Hamilton Community Newspapers

So proud to be a part of this program and to watch it spread across the community!

Fall Harvests

Last week was a great week for bringing fresh local food to HFS. We had an amazing group of boys from The Living Rock Ministries out to Murphy's Farm on Thursday and in only a couple of hours they were able to glean 639lbs of squash, eggplant, zucchini and corn. Friday was the OAFB's Buy Local Share Local at the Ottawa Street Market and we were able to talk to many people about the Harvest program as well as meet with various farmers to let them know about the ways they can participate. The generous shoppers at the market donated 123lbs of fresh food. Saturday brought the rain and cool weather and with it came 28 dedicated volunteers from McMaster University as a part of Mac Serve. The group braved the rain and mud to harvest over 5500lbs of potatoes from Plan B! What an amazing group of volunteers and generous farmers!

BUSY BUSY BUSY

Well fall has arrived and thankfully with it has come more fresh veggies to Hamilton Food Share through the harvest program. We are getting weekly donations from Veggie Village at the RBG as well as our continued produce from Plan B!
This week will bring two new groups of volunteers to the program, a group of youth from the Living Rock Ministries will be gleaning a local farm where for generously donated various fall vegetables. Saturday will bring a large group from Mc Master University as a part of their Mac Serve day. This group will be harvesting potatoes from Plan B.

If you are down at the Ottawa Street Market this Friday, October 1st, stop by the OAFB and Hamilton Food Share booth to participate in Buy Local, Share Local!
Your chance to help support local farmers and local food banks all at once.

Wonderful Things Happening!

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the Opening of Veggie Village at the RBG. It is a stunning plot of nine gardens each with its own personality and incredible message. One of the creators of Veggie Village gave me a personal tour and explained to me the thinking behind each plot and the hopes for the future of the garden. It is truly a work of art and an incredible resource for the people of Hamilton and Burlington. Take some time to stop by Veggie Village and even make a pledge to keep amazing projects such as this happening in our community!

Great Day Gleaning!

The first day of September brought the sunshine, the heat, a gentle warm breeze and a small but dedicated group of volunteers to Murphy's Country Produce in Binbrook. They were there to glean the fields and to pick as much as they could to send to the food banks. The generous farmer had agreed to let them work in various plots to gather a nice variety of corn, tomatoes, zucchini and green beans. Brian Murphy is a local farmer who understands the needs of HFS and is willing to share some of what he has to make a difference in the fight against hunger. Being part of this new program was easy for Murhpy's farm as we brought the volunteers, packaging and truck to pick up and deliver the food to Hamilton Food Share. Thanks to the generosity of Brian and the help of the 7 volunteers, HFS was able to send out 1,144 pounds of fresh from the farm vegetables today, this food will be on tables and in hot meal programs by Friday! Such an amazing day!!!!

Check out our facebook page "Community Harvest Hamilton" for more pictures!!!

GLEANERS NEEDED!!!

Anyone interested in a little gleaning tomorrow morning? We have a generous farmer donating whatever we can pick to the project! What a great way to spend the morning and a great way to make a difference for those in need. Contact me asap if you are interested and I can give you details!!!!

Gearing up for harvests! We are starting to plan some fun and fruitful gleaning events for Hamilton Harvest. Anyone looking for a great volunteer opportunity for school, corporate or family/youth, we have a new and incredible way to spend a day at one of our local farms supporting your local food banks! Contact me to set up an event, join a team or enroll your farm in the program!

LOOKING FOR HELP

Hamilton Harvest is Looking for HELP!

Part of our program is to increase the capacity of our member agencies,
we are currently helping a local Agency obtain a refrigerated cooler to store fresh produce for the people in their neighbourhood!

We are seeking a licenced electrician who would be willing to donate all or some of their time to help set up the container once it arrives.

Contact Jennifer if you are interested at 905 664 9065 x238 or via email at jennifer@hamiltonfoodshare.org

Community Harvest Ontario Launch

Yesterday was the official launch of Community Harvest Ontario! On a beautiful summers day at the farm of a very generous donor, Mike Whittamore there was a gathering of organizers, funders, media, food bank representatives, and staff from the OAFB to share the news of this amazing and innovative program!
It was wonderful to hear so many people excited and dedicated to ensuring the success of such a necessary project. The program was explained in detail and provided all with a better understanding of the needs of the hungry in our communities and the benefits to all who become involved with the project!

Check out the new community harvest website at www.communityharvest.ca

Watch for more information for focus days
September 9th - Gleaning the Greenbelt (family and youth day)
October 5th - CHO Corporate Challenge Day

First Onions Have Arrived!!!

The first crops have been harvested and will be making their way to tables in Hamilton by tomorrow morning!
Some of the freshest, greenest onions have arrived at food share. They have been grown and picked specifically for Hamilton Food Share and our member agencies by our partners at Plan B Farm.

From Farm to Table!

Farm to Table

Things are in full swing here at Hamilton Harvest and the first crops will begin to be harvested in the next couple of weeks. There are new partners joining in the fight against hunger and excited volunteers beginning to inquire about the many volunteer opportunities with Hamilton Harvest and Food Share.

Keep checking for updates on our first delivery from Plan B!

Join Us!!!

Hamilton Harvest is looking for volunteers! This exciting new program is looking for a variety of volunteers to help us make Hamilton Harvest a huge success by making sure healthy, quality foods reach the tables of the people in need in our community.
We have various volunteer roles ranging from donation of your time, materials, services or even land!

Times are tough and we have got to work together to make a difference!

Contact Jennifer today at Hamilton Harvest to see how you can fit into the program!

Hunger. It's just unacceptable.

Hunger Awareness Day

June 1st is Hunger Awareness day and we at Hamilton Food Share are asking for your help.
We are asking everyone to give up their lunch for 1 day and donate the money. All proceeds will be used to purchase food for our Member Agencies. The City of Hamilton is very generous in partnering with HFS in this campaign.

Check out our website for details about how you can help,to see videos and view hunger stats!
www.hamiltonfoodshare.org

Hunger. It's just unacceptable.

Visit To Plan B Organics

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting with the owners of Plan B Organics and was able to see the site of one of our first partnerships for Hamilton Harvest! It was a beautiful day and walking around the farm and hearing about all the vegetables that have been planted specifically for our program was exciting and uplifting! It is amazing how everyone is seeing what an important piece adding fresh, quality produce to the food procurement program at Hamilton Food Share is! We are lucky to have such wonderful partners like the people at Plan B.
Thanks Alvaro, Melanie, Rodrigo and all their farm family!

Growing A Solution To Hunger!

Welcome to Hamilton Harvest!

This blog will follow the day to day events happening with the program and provide valuable information about upcoming events! We are looking forward to sharing the details of the new program that is focused on bringing fresh, quality produce through Hamilton Food Share to the food banks and hot meal programs in our area. The program is new and innovative, taking the position of food banks moving from strictly gathering to becoming producers of food! It is an exciting time and the partnerships formed through Hamilton Harvest will be instrumental in serving a serious need in our community.

Check back for more information and feel free to share your experiences with the program!

Sincerely,

Hamilton Harvest Team