Food bank in Jamestown working to address food insecurity and social isolation

In Jamestown, a neighbourhood in north Etobicoke, one food bank is not only addressing food insecurity but also providing an important third space for locals.

According to the 2025 Who’s Hungry report, there were over 4.1 million food bank visits in the previous year. Meanwhile, a 2023 survey found that over half of Canadians were staying home to save on costs, causing one in five to feel socially isolated.

“Food insecurity does really run parallel with the other social determinants of health. So food insecurity mainly comes from financial constraint to afford food,” said Chashma Akram, manager of the Albion Food Space. “And so what that also means is that now there’s less money for the other essential needs. So medication, children, your family and those really essential needs and services for somebody’s livelihood and most importantly, mental health.”

She explained that food insecurity and mental health can impact each other, with financial constraints leading to food insecurity, which leads to poor mental health or vice versa, where poor mental health then leads to financial difficulties, leading to food insecurity.

The Albion Library Community Food Space addresses both food insecurity and social isolation at no cost to residents. 

It was launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. When businesses were closed, the Albion public library offered its space to North York Harvest Food Bank to run its services. 

Today, that partnership continues to grow with the food bank outside in a shipping container on Wednesdays and Fridays and community programming inside the library all week long.

“A lot of the services that we offer through the library, such as programming, our user education programs, for example, we take the feedback from our customers. So if they’re requesting something specific, we do try to incorporate that and specifically with the food bank,” said Kara Miley, the senior branch manager at Albion TPL. 

“Food banks are so vital at the moment just due to everything that is happening with the economy and with food prices being so high, so it’s just one of those natural partnerships that evolved.”

The Albion Food Space serves 2,600 clients every month, 31 per cent of whom are children and youth.

“The food and the clothing and the market, all I want is one stop for me. Then it’s easier on me because I walk. I don’t have a car. So it’s physically easier. And I don’t have to worry,” shared Katy Chiappetta, a Jamestown resident.

North York Harvest Food Bank continues to build spaces across the region. 

At Albion, it’s taking a step further by partnering with a mobile clothing bank, participating in local food festivals and running community advocacy groups.