In a moment of escalating need, when food insecurity has reached unprecedented levels in Ontario and across Canada, the Slaight family has stepped forward with a profoundly impactful act of generosity. On December 10, 2025, United Way Greater Toronto announced that the Slaight family would commit $10 million to strengthen food programs serving communities in the GTA and beyond. This bold philanthropic investment marks one of the most significant private contributions in recent history toward battling hunger and supporting local food systems in one of Canada’s largest metropolitan regions.
Responding to a Growing Crisis
The context for this remarkable contribution is sobering. Recent data reveal that more than four million people in Ontario are food insecure, meaning they lack consistent access to enough nutritious food for an active, healthy life. At the same time, over one million Ontarians relied on food banks last year, generating 8.7 million visits to food distribution programs across the province. For many households, rapidly rising rents, surging food prices, and high utility costs leave little left over for groceries after the basics are paid.
This crisis extends far beyond occasional need—it is a structural issue affecting families, children, seniors, and communities of all backgrounds. In large urban centres like Toronto, where prosperity and poverty often sit side by side, the contrast is stark: thriving neighbourhoods exist just blocks away from communities where parents face impossible choices between buying groceries or paying rent.
A Strategic and Compassionate Investment
The Slaight family’s $10 million commitment will be distributed among six frontline organizations intimately engaged in food security work at the local, regional and national levels:
- Daily Bread Food Bank
- Food Banks Canada
- Right To Food
- Second Harvest
- The Stop Community Food Centre
- United Way Greater Toronto
These organizations bring diverse strengths to the fight against hunger—from direct food distribution and community meal programs to food rescue operations and long-term advocacy for equitable food systems. The funding will help:
- Purchase and distribute food directly to where it’s needed most;
- Support local agencies and meal programs providing essential services in underserved neighbourhoods;
- Strengthen community responses that connect people to nutritious food; and
- Stabilize and grow critical infrastructure, giving organizations the space to think beyond crisis response toward sustainable solutions.
This approach reflects a thoughtful strategy: while emergency food programs meet immediate needs, long-term stability and broader social investments are needed to address the root causes of food insecurity.
Voices from the Front Line
The announcement sparked strong praise across the sector, not just for the amount of the gift but for its timing and strategic impact.
Gary Slaight, speaking on behalf of his family, emphasized the personal and community-oriented motivations behind the gift. “Our family cares deeply about people and community,” he said. “Knowing that so many of our neighbours are turning to food banks just to get through the month is something we cannot ignore. Our hope is that this gift helps ease some of the pressure on families right now and encourages others to stand behind food security in their own communities.”
Heather McDonald, President and CEO of United Way Greater Toronto, reflected on the unprecedented demand facing local food programs. “Across the GTA, we are seeing levels of demand that community food programs were never meant to carry alone,” she said. “The Slaight family’s gift will help move more good food into the neighbourhoods feeling the strain most and steady the agencies people count on every day. It is an investment in people’s dignity right now and in the longer work that United Way Greater Toronto and our partners are leading to tackle the affordability and food security crisis.”
And at the national level, Kirstin Beardsley, CEO of Food Banks Canada, highlighted how the gift will support vital capacity-building: “As the leader in addressing food insecurity in Canada, we witness every day the profound impact it has on people across the country. The demand for support has never been greater. We are deeply grateful to the Slaight family for this generous funding, which will strengthen and empower food banks across the country to expand infrastructure, enhance capacity, and improve access where it’s needed most.”
A Legacy of Generosity
The Slaight family’s commitment builds on a long tradition of philanthropic engagement. The family’s foundation—established by Allan Slaight and now led by his son Gary—has supported a range of community initiatives across Canada, including education, healthcare, and culture. Allan Slaight himself was a celebrated Canadian philanthropist, remembered for his broad impact and dedication to community well-being.
In the context of food security, the $10 million commitment represents both continuity and escalation—a deeper investment aimed at what many advocates describe as one of the most pressing social issues of our time.
Beyond Emergency Aid: Toward System Change
While emergency food programs are crucial, the broader challenge of food insecurity is tied to systemic issues like income inequality, affordable housing shortages, and inadequate social supports. The Slaight family’s gift helps address the immediate crisis, but it also creates an opportunity for longer-term planning and collective action.
By anchoring support across organizations with local, regional, and national reach, the funding encourages collaboration and innovation—two ingredients essential for crafting sustainable solutions. Recharge, seed new program models, and give agencies the security to plan beyond short-term emergency responses can help shift the system over time.
A Call to the Community
Ultimately, the Slaight family’s announcement is more than a philanthropic milestone: it is an invitation to the broader public. By demonstrating what is possible when resources are mobilized in service of equity and dignity, it challenges individuals, businesses, and other philanthropists to join in addressing one of Canada’s most persistent social challenges.
Food insecurity is not a problem that any organization or government can solve alone. But with strategic partnerships, sustained investment, and community-centered leadership, meaningful progress is possible.
In the face of rising need, the $10 million commitment from the Slaight family offers a powerful example of how generosity rooted in compassion and strategic vision can make a tangible difference in people’s lives—feeding more than just bodies but restoring dignity, stability, and hope.