Celebrating 55 Years of Community Service and Promoting Food Sustainability

 

TORONTO, ON – September 23, 2023 — The Centre for Immigrant and Community Services (CICS) today celebrated the arrival of fall with the CICS Fall Harvest Festival and Volunteer Appreciation 2023 at its very own CICS Community Garden and Greenhouse in Scarborough. This joyous occasion marked not only the changing of seasons but also the celebration of CICS' 55 years of community service. It was a day filled with heartfelt recognition of CICS’ dedicated volunteers while showcasing the essential role of the agency’s food system in fostering food security and sustainability in the community.

 

Jean Yip, Member of Parliament for Scarborough—Agincourt, attended the volunteer appreciation ceremony to present certificates to CICS volunteers alongside CICS Executive Director Alfred Lam, while Mayor of Toronto Olivia Chow joined in at the Fall Harvest Festival. 

 

Member of Parliament for Scarborough—Agincourt Jean Yip presented a greeting scroll to CICS representatives, including Executive Director Alfred Lam.

 

Dedicated CICS volunteers received appreciation certificates.

 

Highlights of the festival included tours of CICS’ Community Garden and Greenhouse, where visitors learned about CICS’ comprehensive Food System – an integrated and sustainable food solution – which encompasses the Food Bank, Community Garden and Greenhouse, Community Kitchen and Food Hub, all in one place at the Immigrant Resource Centre, CICS’ headquarters in Scarborough.

 

 

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow shopped for fresh produce in CICS' greenhouse.

 

“When we started a pop-up food bank during the COVID-19 pandemic, no one would have thought that it would blossom into such a comprehensive food system we now have, and it is still growing,” CICS Executive Director Alfred Lam said. “Just like our other services, the growth of CICS’ Community Food Programs wouldn't have been possible without the devotion of our staff and volunteers.”

 

New this year, CICS has teamed up with Humber College to establish the Food Hub, an indoor vertical farm that helps individuals, families and food banks grow their own food. This innovative infrastructure employs cultivation methods, including aquaponics, hydroponics and microgreens, to grow organic vegetables and fish, providing sustainable food sources to the community. Through this pilot project, CICS also helps install micro-vertical farms, called “food shelves,” in some of its food bank clients’ homes.

 

 

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow visited the indoor vertical farm in the CICS Food Bank, the result of a new partnership between CICS and Humber College.

 

At the festival, community members also enjoyed live performances, engaged with interactive booths, had the chance to win exciting prizes in a lucky draw, and explored the garden and charity markets.

 

 

The festival attracted a large crowd, with people participating in booth activities.

 

CICS would like to extend gratitude to all sponsors of the Fall Harvest Festival and Volunteer Appreciation 2023, including Rising Sun Food Drive Foundation (Bronze), Rotary Club of North Scarborough (Bronze), Royal Bank of Canada (Bronze), Market Village Grocery (Friend of CICS Community Food Programs), as well as CICS staff members, Daan Go Cake Lab, Energy Shack Juice Bar, Honeymoon Dessert and OSIM Canada for sponsoring the lucky draw prizes.

 

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow with representatives from CICS and event sponsors (including the Rotary Club of North Scarborough and the Royal Bank of Canada).

 

 

Quick Facts:

 

• The CICS Food System is powered by the Sustainable and Accessible Foods for Empowering Communities (S.A.F.E.) Project, an initiative launched in 2020, aimed at empowering communities, addressing food security, promoting social equity and breaking social isolation.
• Supporters of CICS’ S.A.F.E. Communities Project in 2023 include the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the City of Toronto, the United Way Greater Toronto, the Daily Bread Food Bank and MAZON Canada.
• The CICS Community Garden yielded 9,000 servings of fresh produce in 2022 for the Food Bank, aiding 2,132 individuals. The greenhouse helped extend the growing season to 10 months.
• New initiatives also include raised garden beds and the Balcony Gardens Program, where members of the community are provided with soil, seeds and tools to cultivate their own fresh produce at the CICS Community Garden or their own homes. Forty-two raised beds have been utilized by a diverse range of communities, including Chinese, Turkish, Indian, Sri Lankan, African, Israeli, Filipino and Korean. An estimated 917 pounds of produce has been cultivated so far this growing season.
• Future plans involve expanding the Community Garden and the raised garden beds, as well as installing “food shelves” at more homes and local schools, creating a sustainable food system to combat poverty.

 

 

CICS Community Garden and Greenhouse

Address: 2330 Midland Avenue, Toronto, ON M1S 5G5 (North of Highway 401)

Telephone: 416-292-7510

 

About Centre for Immigrant and Community Services (CICS)

Founded in 1968, CICS is a not-for-profit organization and a registered charity that provides core settlement and integration services, including language training and employment, at eight locations across Toronto and York Region, serving more than 20,000 clients every year from early years children to seniors. CICS has also established community food programs that aim at increasing food security through our own community garden, community kitchen and food bank. CICS is as well committed to building welcoming and inclusive communities by being a strong advocate for social justice and anti-racism.

 

Learn more at CICS’ website or follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.

 

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For more information, please contact:

Nicole Leung

Email: nicole.leung@cicscanada.com