The Centre for Immigrant and Community Services (CICS) today celebrated the arrival of fall with the CICS Fall Harvest Festival and Volunteer Appreciation 2023 at its very own CICS Community Garden and Greenhouse in Scarborough. This joyous occasion marked not only the changing of seasons but also the celebration of CICS' 55 years of community service. It was a day filled with heartfelt recognition of CICS' dedicated volunteers while showcasing the essential role of the agency's food system in fostering food security and sustainability in the community.
Jean Yip, Member of Parliament for Scarborough—Agincourt, attended the volunteer appreciation ceremony to present certificates to CICS volunteers alongside CICS Executive Director Alfred Lam, while Mayor of Toronto Olivia Chow joined in at the Fall Harvest Festival.
New this year, CICS has teamed up with Humber College to establish the Food Hub, an indoor vertical farm that helps individuals, families, and food banks grow their own food. Through this pilot project, CICS also helps install micro-vertical farms, called "food shelves," in some of its food bank clients' homes.
"When we started a pop-up food bank during the COVID-19 pandemic, no one would have thought that it would blossom into such a comprehensive food system we now have, and it is still growing," CICS Executive Director Alfred Lam said. "Just like our other services, the growth of CICS' Community Food Programs wouldn't have been possible without the devotion of our staff and volunteers."
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