The Newmarket Food Pantry addresses hunger and the need for food on a daily basis. To help us achieve our goals, we empower community members to become engaged citizens through volunteering, attending and hosting events such as food drives.

Client Update

Commencing April 1st we are asking clients to call ahead to make an appointment. Please call 905-895-6823 ext. 120, on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., to book an appointment time. If your call is not answered directly, leave a message, including your name and phone number, and someone will return your call within one business day.

Please do not bring children to the pantry. You can ask a friend or family member to pick up your food by providing them with a letter which gives them permission to do so. Please do not come to the pantry if you or someone in your household is sick. Please be sure to wash your hands upon entering the pantry.

Covid-19 Update

Public Notice:

Over the last few weeks, we have been closely monitoring the evolving situation with the COVID-19 outbreak to ensure we are taking every precaution to ensure the health and safety of our Newmarket Food Pantry community.

We understand and appreciate that many of our clients and volunteers may be experiencing some anxiety about this illness. It is important to note that Public Health continues to assure us that the risk of becoming ill from COVID-19 remains low in Ontario. We are working in cooperation with local health units and our partners as we continue to follow the situation closely.
At this juncture, we are asking that all visitors to the Newmarket Food Pantry follow these everyday steps as recommended by local health authorities to reduce exposure to the virus and protect their health:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer
  • Sneeze and cough into a tissue or your sleeve
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
  • Avoid contact with people who are sick
  • Stay home if you are sick

In addition to these measures, the Newmarket Food Pantry has also:

  • Increased signage and information posted throughout the pantry
  • We will also be limiting the number of clients gathering in the food pantry reception area
  • Increased frequency in cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces & equipment
  • While health officials continue to maintain that proper handwashing is the key to the prevention of illness, the Newmarket Food

Pantry does have hand sanitizers available throughout the building for public use.
We also encourage members and visitors to visit the York Region Health Department website where you will find regular community updates on COVID-19. The website can be found here: www.york.ca

The health and safety of clients, volunteers, and donors, and the public at large is our highest priority. We will continue to monitor this situation and advise you of any announcements. At this time, there are no changes to Newmarket Food Pantry’s daily operations.

Please feel free to reach out if you shall have any questions.

Thank you for your support and understanding during this time.

Food Explorers

The Newmarket Food Pantry would like to thank The Hershey Company and Food Banks Canada for providing funding which provided us with the opportunity to deliver the Food Explorers Program this Fall.

The program enabled 7 children aged 9 to 11 to take part in a 7-week program where they learned all about good food choices. Each week was centred around a different topic, such as where food grows, what are good snacks, how to make good food choices and how to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The final class allowed the children to invite their families to enjoy a meal prepared and served by them. We would like to also thank the PC Cooking School for facilitating the program for us.

 

vegetarian chili newmarket food pantry

Vegetarian Chili

 

Vegetarian Chili

Chili is an easy meal to make and freezes well for future quick meals. Just serve with some fresh bread – or even better, garlic bread. The base is tomatoes, beans, vegetables and some spices but you can choose varying amounts and different beans and vegetables to make it your own!

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic finely minced or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1-3 tablespoons chili powder more will be spicier
  • 2 tablespoons of cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/4 – 2 teaspoons of chili flakes the more chili flakes the spicier it will be
  • 2 bell peppers diced
  • 2 medium carrots diced
  • 3 celery stalks diced
  • 2 – 28oz cans of whole tomatoes crushed by you or diced tomatoes and their juice
  • 2 – 15-ounce cans of beans drained and rinsed: kidney and black beans work great!
  • 2 cup of frozen or fresh corn you could use fresh but frozen is easy and works great
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add spices and sauté for 1 minute more.
  2. Add the peppers, carrots, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they just start to soften. Add tomatoes and their juice and bring to a simmer. Once the chili begins to simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low with the lid off.
  3. Continue to cook the chili, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add beans and corn and let the chili return to a simmer. Cook for 5 more minutes or until the corn and beans have heated through.
  4. Generously salt to taste.
  5. Serve on its own or with brown rice or whole grain pasta.

Recipe Notes

*If you have a slow cooker or crock pot, this is even easier! Just toss everything in the slow cooker, stir, and cook on high for 4 hours or 6 – 8 on low heat!

tuna casserole with pasta and vegetables newmarket food pantry

Tuna Casserole with Whole Grain Pasta and Vegetables

 

Tuna Casserole with Whole Grain Pasta and Vegetables

Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword casserole, pasta casserole, tuna casserole, tuna pasta bake

Ingredients

  • 2.5 cups whole grain pasta
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 2 cans tuna
  • 1 cup peas
  • 1 cup carrots diced
  • ½ onion diced
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 2 tbsp oregano or dill
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp butter or margarine
  • 1 cup whole grain bread – dried and crumbled into breadcrumbs*
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Boil whole grain pasta to desired texture and drain
  3. Stir in: mushroom soup, tuna, peas, carrots, onion, celery, oregano or dill, garlic and black pepper
  4. Mix in: ½ cup breadcrumbs and butter or margarine
  5. Pour mixture into casserole dish
  6. Top mixture with remaining breadcrumbs
  7. Cook until topping starts to brown – about 10 minutes
  8. Let sit for 5 – 10 minutes
  9. Salt to taste
  10. Serve!

Recipe Notes

*To make your own breadcrumbs, just allow 2 – slices of whole grain bread to sit at room temperature without covering at all for 1 – 2 days and cut into chunks. Alternately, place 2 – 3 slices of this bread into an oven at 300 degrees and allow to toast for 5 minutes. Remove and break into chunks

**Also note that you can use any vegetables you’d like – some other great options include: peppers, green or yellow beans, cauliflower, broccoli, or corn!

Apple crumble dessert with cinnamon and vanilla ice - Newmarket Food Pantry

Easy Fruit Crisp

 

Apple crumble dessert with cinnamon and vanilla ice - Newmarket Food Pantry

Easy Fruit Crisp

The great thing about fruit crisps is that you can use almost any fruit you have on hand to make a crisp. They also make an easy breakfast (if there is any left!) My favourite fruits to use include: • Thawed frozen or fresh mixed berries • Thawed frozen or fresh or canned peaches • Fresh apples • Fresh pears • Fresh plums • Thawed frozen or fresh or canned cherries

Ingredients

Filling:

  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • Your fruit of choice – about 6 cups or 1.5 pounds
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Topping:

  • 1.5 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 6 ounces butter or margarine 12 tbsp melted and cooled
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x9-inch or 11x7-inch glass baking dish with butter and set aside.
  2. Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a medium mixing bowl until lump-free. Add the fruit and lemon juice and toss gently to coat. Transfer to the baking dish.
  3. Combine the oats, flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and stir until combined. Drizzle the butter and vanilla over the oat mixture and stir to combine. Set aside*.
  4. Scatter the crisp topping evenly over the fruit mixture, leaving large clumps intact.
  5. Bake until the fruit juices are bubbling around the edges of the baking dish and the topping is golden and firm to the touch, 30 to 35 minutes.
  6. Let the crisp cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve cold, room temperature, or re-warmed in a low oven for 20 minutes.

Recipe Notes

*Crisp toppings freeze very well! You can make crisp topping in large batches and freeze it for crisp anytime.

Celebrating our Volunteers!

“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time, but they have the heart.”

We appreciate our volunteers every day – we could not do what we do without their passion and dedication – and this month, National Volunteer Month, we recognize the hard work of all our volunteers that help us nourish our neighbours.

The Newmarket Food Pantry is run almost entirely by volunteers. We have only three paid, part time employees, and everyone else donates their time, including our Board of Directors. Volunteers are an integral part of not only the survival of the Newmarket Food Pantry, but countless other organisations that rely on the support of others to stay afloat. It is our volunteers that sort thousands of pounds of food every month; who stock the shelves, and sort the expired foods that have to be discarded (not a pleasant task), and they provide our clients with the dignity and respect they deserve as they collect food for their families.

“Volunteers are love in motion.”

It is through the passion and dedication of volunteers throughout our community that helps bring our community together, and shows what we accomplish when we work together.

Volunteering not only helps others in our community, it also provides positive benefits to you as well. When we volunteer, our spirits are lifted, we feel good about what we are doing, and gives us a sense of purpose and pride. When we give, even in a small way, it helps improve our health and happiness. Here are some other benefits of volunteering:

Building Confidence: Volunteering can help you build confidence by trying something new, and gives you a sense of achievement

Impacting Your Community: Being a volunteer has a valuable impact on people in our community, and society in general.

Meeting New People: Volunteering gives you the opportunity to meet new people and create lasting friendships.

Learning New Skills: You can learn new skills while volunteering, which you can transfer to other areas of your life.

Inspire Others: When you volunteer, you are inspiring people around you to help others. Your children learn from your actions, and being a volunteer gives them a positive role model.

So thank you to everyone who takes time out of their busy schedules to help others. It may only be a few hours a month, but every little bit counts! And next time you see a volunteer, thank them, because they are the heartbeat of the organisation they are working for! For more information about how to volunteer with the Newmarket Food Pantry, please visit the Get Involved page and see if volunteering with us is right for you.

Food drive, Newmarket, Newmarket Food Pantry, nourishing neighbours

Spring Food Drive

It’s spring, and the shelves are quickly emptying at your local food bank. One of the biggest challenges food banks face is inconsistent flow of donations. People generally think of donating during the holidays, but the reality is, our neighbours are hungry all year round, and sadly, the thousands of pounds that are donated at Christmas do no last very long.

Spring also means older children are often returning home after completing a year at college or university, which increases the burden on family purse strings already stretched thin.

To help restock the shelves, we have launched our Spring Food Drive from April 4 to April 22. Food donations can be dropped off at the Food Pantry Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays. Not sure what to buy? Here are our most needed items:

  • Canned meat, stew, chilli and soup
  • Juice boxes and nutritious school snacks
  • Canned vegetables and fruit
  • Baked beans
  • Baby food, formula and diapers (especially size 5 & 6)

Below are some excellent recommendations from Food Banks Canada on how to choose nutritious foods:

Whole grain foods like oatmeal, barley, high-fibre cereals or whole-grain pasta contain plenty of fibre and are an excellent source of minerals like magnesium and iron.

Baby cereals, formula and jarred baby foods make good donations – but please make sure the items have not expired.

Lean proteins from foods like canned tuna and chicken; plant proteins like peanut butter, beans, and lentils; or more complete proteins contained in other canned meats help in the maintenance of body tissue and contribute to a feeling of satiety.

Canned fruit is high in vitamin C and dietary fibre. Likewise, if they’re free of added salt and sugars, studies suggest that frozen and canned vegetables are often as good as fresh produce.

Money is always the best option, as it gives us the ability and flexibility to purchase the items we need most. We also have better buying power than the regular customer, so we can make the dollar stretch further. Click here to make a donation and to help us nourish our neighbours.

Newmarket, curling, bonspiel, fundraiser, nourishing neighbours

3rd Annual Curling Bonspiel

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Easy Vegetarian Stew

 

Easy Vegetarian Stew

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 medium green bell pepper chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 14 1/2-ounce can of tomatoes
  • 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1 14 1/2-ounce can low-sodium vegetable broth (or equivalent in water)
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15-ounce can red beans, drained and rinsed
  • 8 tablespoons fat-free sour cream optional
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat.
  2. Saute onion, bell pepper, and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add tomatoes, corn, vegetable broth, chili powder, oregano, and beans. Stir well.
  4. Cover and simmer until thoroughly heated, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with bread.

Recipe Notes

You can add 2 cups of cooked macaroni to the soup for a more filling stew. Add the past about five minutes before serving to allow to warm through.