Indigenous food bank serves bannock, provides a 'comfort zone' for families in the core

It's the season of shopping in malls and spending money. But for many people in Toronto figuring out where their next meal will come from is their priority through the holidays.

A food bank connected to the Native Women's Resource Centre near Gerrard Street East and Sherbourne Street has served hundreds of clients and hopes to be able to meet the needs of the community over the holiday season.

"It's important to support young families, not because no one should be going hungry but if you have to worry about feeding your babies that's an extraordinary stress," said Erin Filby, coordinator at the Native Women's Resource Centre.

"We don't want that for Indigenous women or Indigenous families."

• Tuition + rent + food = hard lesson for Toronto university students using food banks

The centre relies on cash and food donations to keep up with the need in the city's core — a need that is highlighted as CBC Toronto's annual holiday campaign to raise money for GTA food banks, Sounds of the Season, draws closer. 

"It's an expensive time of year for everybody," Filby told CBC Toronto. "It's not just expensive because of presents. It's expensive because people need new winter coats, babies need new boots. People spend more on heating."

In the basement of the building, shelves are stocked with canned goods, dry food and toiletries. The centre focuses on Indigenous programming but welcomes everyone.

"We serve the wider community and that's a safe cultural practice," Filby said. "It's appropriate for the community to help out everybody."

Freshly baked bannock

On the main floor of the centre a kitchen and dining area equipped with fresh ingredients and volunteers serve dozens of clients warm meals daily.

Colleen Kettle, an employee at the centre who coordinates the meals, says bannock — a traditional form of flatbread — is a favourite among the clients.

"I think it just reminds everyone of home," Kettle said. "It reminds them of eating in their grandma's kitchen."

Kettle jokes that the clients are more inclined to stay longer when they catch a whiff of the freshly baked bannock.

"It's something we all have that ties us together, not even as a cultural thing but a community," Kettle said.

While getting access to other traditional Indigenous foods is rare, a soup she calls "three sister's soup" is another popular item in the kitchen.

"I have to just use the ingredients we have, it depends what we get in."

'Feels like home'

The centre sees many different types of clients come through its doors but young families are the ones who really rely on the service.

Raylah Moonias finds comfort in visiting the centre and enjoying the hot lunch.

"It feels at home. It feels there's cultural belonging," Moonias said.

As someone who's needed to use foodbanks and also volunteered in one, Moonias sees their importance in the community — especially in a city like Toronto where housing prices continue to rise.

"That extra need, that extra support to get by, definitely has helped me," Moonias said.

Moonias doesn't just visit for the food — she said it's a place where she has friends and feels comfortable.  

"We celebrate with each other. It's my comfort zone."