St. Patty’s Day food-bank donation

Toronto Paramedic Services and St. Patrick’s Day Parade Society deliver equivalent of 8,000 meals to Daily Bread Food Bank today.

This morning, 238 kilograms of food and cash donations totalling $7,700 were delivered in an ambulance by Toronto Paramedic Services employees and St. Patrick’s Day Parade organizers to the Daily Bread Food Bank.

“Toronto Paramedic Services employees see the need in the community every day,” said Councillor James Pasternak (Ward 10 York Centre), Chair of the City of Toronto’s Community Development and Recreation Committee. “It is inspiring that volunteers have donated their time to the parade for more than 20 years and collaborated with their partners for the last five years to collect food and funds for those in need in our community.”

“It’s so exciting to see this level of support and commitment to ending hunger,” said Neil Hetherington, CEO of the Daily Bread Food Bank. “Whether it’s the folks who bring donations with them to the parade, Toronto Paramedic Services and their fundraising or the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Society for including us, we are so grateful for everyone’s generosity.”

“We are delighted that the donations by parade attendees continue to grow as we support an important value of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Society – giving back to our community,” said the parade’s Chair, Shaun Ruddy.

“Toronto Paramedic Services employees are very generous and the donations received from employees for this food drive is one more example of their many contributions to the community,” said Toronto Paramedic Services Commander Janice Baine. “Not only do they help people every day in the work that they do but they also give back to those in need through efforts like this food drive.”

Over the last five years, Toronto Paramedic Services and St. Patrick’s Day Parade organizers and parade-goers have donated $25,200 in cash and 2,204 kilograms of food.

Torontonians can make a monetary donation to this food drive until the end of March at http://www.dailybread.ca/stpatrick.

This news release is also available on the City’s website: http://bit.ly/2DmYhwe

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Media contact: Kim McKinnon