No gala.
Just giving.
In 2020, Emajjin put aside its annual gala entirely. Instead, we launched a community fundraising campaign for the Daily Bread Food Bank of Toronto — raising $25,000 in just five weeks through donor generosity and a $10,000 matching program. An additional $3,000 came in following the cheque presentation, bringing the total to $28,000. A further $5,000 was given to Eyrie for the Children Foundation to fulfill the second year of our two-year commitment.
I want to say thank you. It's been a difficult time for sure. To know there is a community group that says "We can do something about this. We can make sure there is enough food for that Mom to be able to make sure she can provide everything she needs to for her children." That's one of those uplifting moments. It wouldn't be possible without your leadership and I am deeply grateful for it. Again, thank you, on behalf of the clients that we're serving. You're making an incredible difference! Now, in the time of such upheaval and discord, it's really a joy to be able to have these uplifting moments.
On June 4, 2020, Emajjin presented a cheque for $28,000 to the Daily Bread Food Bank of Toronto in a virtual ceremony.
In just a few short months at the start of 2020, the entire global community changed. Overnight, over three million Canadians lost their jobs. Many were unable to pay rents, mortgages, or tuition fees — and worried about where the next meal to feed their families would come from. For many, the immediate future was bleak, unpredictable, and precarious.
As a proud Canadian charity, Emajjin Children's Foundation ceased all traditional fundraising efforts including our annual gala. Instead, we channelled all our resources to support the Daily Bread Food Bank of Toronto — matching donations with an additional $10,000 and rallying our community to give.
Access to food is a basic human right, not a privilege. During these unprecedented times, food banks needed our help more than ever. In five weeks, our community responded with extraordinary generosity — raising $25,000, with a further $3,000 following the cheque presentation for a total of $28,000.
The Daily Bread Food Bank is one of Canada's largest food banks, serving the Greater Toronto Area. During the COVID-19 pandemic, demand at food banks across the country surged dramatically — with the Daily Bread seeing unprecedented increases in visitors, many of whom had never needed a food bank before.
Daily Bread works to provide immediate food relief while also advocating for long-term solutions to hunger and poverty. Their mission is simple but profound: no one in Toronto should go hungry. Every donation helps provide nutritious food to individuals and families when they need it most.
For Emajjin, choosing the Daily Bread Food Bank in 2020 was a natural extension of our mission — because food insecurity disproportionately impacts children, and ensuring a child has enough to eat is foundational to everything else we believe in.
Visit Daily Bread Food BankToronto's largest food bank — providing nutritious food and advocating for an end to hunger across the Greater Toronto Area.
www.dailybread.ca →Eyrie for the Children Foundation
In addition to the Daily Bread donation, Emajjin fulfilled the second year of its two-year, $10,000 commitment to the Eyrie for the Children Foundation — presenting a cheque for $5,000 on September 15, 2020 in support of an orphanage in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Visit Eyrie for the Children →