Photo credit: Toronto Today
On any given night in Midtown Toronto, while most kitchens are winding down, a small team of high school students is just getting started.
Toronto Today reports that Sharing Excess Toronto, a youth-led nonprofit, was launched last summer by Nikhil and Rohan Gupta and Brandon and Caden Situ.
“Basically, what we do is redistribute unsold, surplus food and give it to those in need,” explained Rohan.
That nightly effort is already making a measurable difference across the city. To date, Sharing Excess Toronto has rescued more than $40,000 worth of food, the equivalent of 3,500 meals.
The group estimates their work has also diverted more than 11,000 pounds of greenhouse gas from landfills. Proof that hunger and environmental can be addressed at the same time.
“We’re reducing food waste, and we’re helping people who might not have had a meal actually get a meal that night,” said Nikhil. “It’s hopefully something warm and something they can enjoy.”
Sharing Excess Toronto currently collects food from donor partners, including North of Brooklyn Pizzeria and Bagel House, along with three additional businesses that have contributed food.
From there, volunteers deliver donations to recipient organizations such as Horizons for Youth and the Native Men’s Residence, part of a growing network that now includes eight partner organizations across Toronto.
The numbers paint a clear picture of what that looks like on the ground. More than 1,000 pizzas and about 1,800 bagels have been redistributed so far.
The organization is also creating space for young people to lead. Its founders say one of the most rewarding parts of the work has been watching other youth volunteers step up and make the mission their own.
