Building Community, Feeding Change
For 40 years, The Stop has been a community hub providing a holistic range of programs that provide healthy food, foster social connections, build food skills, and promote civic engagement.
We believe that nutritious, culturally appropriate food is a human right.
About us
The Stop uses good food to bring people together. We’ve connected thousands of low-income Torontonians to good food in spaces that are warm, dignified, and respectful. Whether it’s in our urban gardens, at a drop-in meal, at our food bank, or in the community advocacy office, The Stop is a place where everyone is welcomed with a seat at the table.
About our work
We run extensive emergency food access and social service programs at three locations in Toronto. Each program aims to address the effects of systemic poverty: food insecurity, social isolation, unequal access to land, and difficulty navigating health and government systems. We meet people where they are and help meet their needs.
Get involved
Join us in building the stronger, more connected Toronto that we all deserve. Each one of our 270 volunteers play a vital role in every aspect of our work. Many volunteers have experience with the issues facing our community, such as unemployment, poverty, and homelessness. This creates a unique sense of community in a non-judgmental and empathetic environment.
Stay informed
Sign up for our email list to stay updated on the latest issues in our city, and our work.
What Sets Us Apart
Our programs change lives. At The Stop, good nutritious food is a gateway to deeper connection. Most people walk through our doors for a meal, but once here, find their lives changed through the empowerment and belonging that arises from extended engagement in our kitchens, gardens, or through the mutual support of peer advocacy. The Stop is a place where community members can grow and feel supported where they are and as they and their circumstances change. We provide anything from prepared meals to perinatal support.
Our community work is not a charity model; we aim to empower our community members and build responsibility and care for one another. Our service users propose and shape new programs and our public policy priorities. In focusing outcomes around social connection and developing programming in response to the needs of our community, our model aims to address the effects and root causes of food security and marginalization.
Being a Peer Advocate has been a formative experience. I learned how to be an active and useful participant in my community. I take great pride in helping community members navigate obscure systems of aid, as well as providing services to folks who, like myself, may experience barriers elsewhere.
norhan, Community Action program participant
431
Average meals served each day to individuals and families
90%
Of those surveyed feel like part of a community at The Stop
40%
Of our food budget is spent on all local food/farms
270
Volunteers giving their time to help our community
Emergency Food Access
Our emergency food access programs include a food bank, two drop-in meal locations, community kitchens, and a good food market.
Community Building
We work with our community to address their changing needs and run a peer-led community action program, a tax and ID clinic, and a program for new and expecting parents. We also work with our community to identify public policy priorities that would better their lives.
Urban Agriculture
We run a seedling giveaway, a microgreens program, and multiple community gardens including our Indigenous Mashkikii;aki’ing (Medicine Earth) Medicine Wheel Garden.