r e t t e l s ’ C ha i r
Not Far From The Tree was launched with the vision that Torontonians could come together, pick, and share fruit that would otherwise go to waste. This is a simple idea, motivated by deep convictions. It calls us to be more compassionate residents of this diverse city and better stewards of our urban environment. As Not Far From The Tree enters its seventh season, that vision flourishes. Through the support of our donors, 2013 yielded the most impact we’ve had in terms of volunteers engaged, trees picked, and fresh fruit donated to food banks and social service organizations across Toronto. This record activity stretches the organization’s capacity. But it also serves as a catalyst to deliver services more effectively. Looking ahead to 2014, we will be making strategic changes, such as upgrading technology to improve pick scheduling and coordination, and adding expertise to the Steering Committee. We are constantly looking for ways to serve Toronto better. This includes engaging a wider range of people and proactively encouraging inclusive participation, a bedrock of a thriving community. Coordinating hundreds of tree picks, thousands of volunteers, and deliveries to dozens of organizations in a season is complex. We would not succeed without the extraordinary dedication of Not Far From The Tree’s staff, who pull all of the pieces together. To ensure that this good work is fruitful, our operations require sustained funding.
In order to meet that challenge, our financial model is shifting: we are working to become more sustainable through the direct support of our volunteers, the homeowners whose trees are gleaned, and those who feel that Toronto is a better place because of what we do. This yearbook has been prepared for you. Together, we are a grassroots and community-supported initiative and this document reflects the work that we’ve accomplished. It is with deep gratitude that we recognize your contributions to Not Far From The Tree and your support in making Toronto a vibrant city.
Christopher Chen Chair, Steering Committee Not Far from the Tree
2013 YIELDED THE MOST IMPACT WE’VE HAD IN TERMS OF VOLUNTEERS ENGAGED, TREES PICKED, AND FRUIT DONATED.
Toronto is a city of neighbourhoods, but at Not Far From The Tree we also see it as a city of neighbours. At each fruit pick we organize, something transformative happens: a private asset becomes shared, its bounty offered up for neighbours to feed neighbours. A backyard gate is opened, and people approach a fruitheavy tree as they would an open table – with recipes, stories, and a willingness to lend a hand. During our 2013 season, Not Far From The Tree brought together 1,587 people by organizing the harvest of fruit from 355 trees. To make this work, community members chipped in by donating resources like storage space and ladders – translating to cost savings of about $10,000. The physical act of picking the fruit is just the beginning – once the fruit is harvested, it becomes a valuable (and edible) tool for community engagement. Over 1,500 people took part in our community engagement events in 2013. From smaller events, like canning workshops and school presentations, to larger ones, like our annual City Cider festival, our events are designed to further our work of bringing people together and building community.
In 2013, we teamed up with local producers, restaurants and other groups to make fun and tasty concoctions. Here are a few examples of our collaborative creations:
Cherry beer with Bellwoods Brewery
Hard apple cider with our team pick leaders
Walnut ink with Textile Studio Co-op
Mulberry gelato
with SOMA Chocolatemaker
Cherry Bombs with Ruby Watchco
Apple Pie in a Jar with Christine Manning and Manning Canning
When it comes to food security, Toronto faces major challenges. At least one in ten households in our city cannot regularly afford to put enough food on the table. At the same time, we’ve become increasingly reliant on imported food to fill our plates and stomachs. Over 50% of fresh produce consumed in Toronto comes from the United States – a third of which arrives during Ontario’s own growing season. At Not Far From The Tree, we believe that we can do more to feed ourselves and part of the solution can be found in our collective backyard. By tapping into what’s growing locally, we are improving access to healthy, nutritious, affordable food in our city. Over a third of the 22,440 pounds of fruit that we harvested in 2013 was shared through 25 local food banks, shelters and community kitchens to help feed over 14,000 people in need. Not Far From The Tree activates the abundance of food already produced by city trees. An estimated 1.5 million pounds of fruit growing in Toronto each year; we’ve only just skimmed the surface of the bounty that’s ripe for the picking in our urban forest.
Rather than unwanted canned food from the back of someone’s pantry, a donation of wholesome, fresh fruit says a great deal. It says that as a community we care to provide the very best food that is available. Not Far From The Tree brings people together around food, which is an important tool for building strong communities. Pavan Pahal, Na-Ma-Res.
With the environmental challenges we face today, it can be difficult to see how any one of us can make a difference. We need to find creative ways to steward our environment and reduce our ecological impact. Not Far From The Tree starts by looking at what’s in our own backyards. Not Far From The Tree connects Torontonians to nature and inspires them to adopt a more environmentally sustainable life. We create handson opportunities for environmental action and education in fun and accessible ways. In 2013, we organized 266 fruit harvesting events in Toronto’s urban forest, directly stewarding 355 trees. More than 1,100 people took part and collectively spent thousands of hours fostering hands-on connections with trees across the city. The simple act of picking fruit reminds people of the value of trees and green space, and encourages them to become stewards of our urban environment. In so doing, we diverted 22,440 pounds of fruit from going to waste, made use of this existing supply of local food, and supplanted a portion of our emissions-intense global food supply. In addition, we eliminated our own transportation emissions through the use of our fleet of cargo bikes. During our 2013 season, our incredible team of pick leaders pedalled over 1,400 kilometres to transport picking equipment and to deliver fresh fruit.
g on n i w o r g w hat’s ’s trees To r o nto APPLES
GRAPES
PEACHES
PEARS
SERVICEBERRIES
SWEET CHERRIES
APRICOTS
PLUMS
GINGKO
SOUR CHERRIES
CRABAPPLES
WALNUTS
MULBERRIES
As a charitable project, we rely on the generosity from our community to sustain our work. Here are a few ways you can help Not Far From The Tree continue its important work in Toronto.
VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME AND SKILLS ON A FRUIT PICK, AT AN EVENT OR IN OUR OFFICE
MAKE A DONATION AT NOTFARFROMTHETREE.ORG/DONATE
SHARE THE FRUIT FROM YOUR TREE BY REGISTERING IT AT NOTFARFROMTHETREE.ORG
s t h g i l h ig H l a i c n fi na 3%
17%
Other Revenue
Donations & Sponsorships
1% Investment Income
79% Grants
Revenue
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS For the period ending December 31, 2013
REVENUE Grants $ 165,801 Donations & Sponsorships 36,800 Other revenue 6,348 Investment Income 1,128 Total Revenue $ 210,078 EXPENSES TCI Overhead Allocation $ 21,008 Office Costs 14,469 Programming 17,367 Personnel Costs 194,081 $ 246,925 Total Expenses
8% TCI Overhead Allocation*
6%
Office Costs
7%
Programming
Expenses $ (36,847) Revenue over expenses Opening Balance 55,493 $ 18,646 Ending Balance
79% Personnel Costs *Tides Canada Initiatives Overhead Allocation (governance, HR, financial and grant management)
Revenue
$
200,000
Expenses
$
200,000
165.8K
150,000
150,000
100,000
100,000
$
50,000
36.8K
50,000
$
6.3K
0
$
1.1
$ K
194.0K
21.0K $14.4K $17.4K Personnel Costs
Programming
Investment Income
Other Revenue
Donations & Sponsorship
Grants
0
Offcie Costs
$
TCI Overhead Allocation
$
T ha n
s r o n o d o k you t
Not Far From The Tree thanks the following donors for their generous support in 2013. Without your support, we could not pick and share Toronto’s fruit! FOUNDATIONS
The Toskan Casale Foundation BUSINESSES Bernardin GlobeScan Incorporated Green Living Enterprises Inc. ING Direct TD Training Grant Program The Big Carrot The Brewer’s Plate ORGANIZATIONS Humberside Collegiate Institute United Way of Greater Toronto West End Food Co-op Kingsway-Lambton United Church
INDIVIDUALS Abbey Huggan Adil Dhalla Ainsley Chapman Alexandra Sherman Amy Dalebout Amy Fedrigo Andrew Macdonald Andrew Simpson Angela Lee Anthony Pomeroy Anthony Schein Barbara Goss Barbara Rahder Becky Thomas Ben Marans Bill Barber Bill Roberts Bronwyn Szabo Cara Spooner Celia Harte Chelsea Petre Chris Chen Christie Pearson Christopher Miller Clara Kwon Claudine Mersereau Conan MacLean Corinne Fontaine Danielle Goldfinger David Thomas Deborah Keegan Derek Sullivan Elin Marley
Emma Lewzey Erin Elliott Erin Kang Erin MacKeen Farrah Ali-Khan Fereshteh Hasemi Gabriella Kuntz Geoffrey Singer Heather Ann Kaldeway Heather Jewell Heidi Sopinka Helen Breslauer James Renihan Janet Strangeways Jay Garlough Jennifer Gordon Jessica Thornton Joanna Flatt John Maclean Jonah Schein Josh Wise Joshna Maharaj Julia Rowan Kate Hoffmann Kathy Fischer Krista Holmes Laura Cavanagh Laura Reinsborough Leah Bobet Linda Doran Lisa Masi Lorraine Underell-Mason
Magdelena O Maija Malinen Malgosia Halliop Marcie Bronson Marco Covi Marg Thompson Martha Watt MaryAnn Maki Matthew Middleton Melissa Yu Michelle Allard Michelle Goldfinger Michelle Levine Nancy Grieveson Natalie Woods Neal Hughes Neil Phillips Nelson Education Peggy Lucas Petar Novakovic Peter Kapler Ravenna Barker Roula Partheniou Ryan White Sarah Berneche Sarah Carr Shoshana Erlich Suzanne Long Tso Family Trust Val Colden Vince Reinsborough
STAFF
STEERING COMMITTEE
MAILING ADDRESS
Project Director Laura Reinsborough
Christopher Chen, Chair Joshna Maharaj, Vice Chair Jordy Gold Jodi Lastman Ben Marans Ravenna Nuaimy-Barker
Not Far From The Tree 401 Richmond Street West Suite 365 Toronto ON M5V 3A8
Interim Project Director Danielle Goldfinger Community Engagement Specialist Becky Thomas Fruit Picking Coordinator Marc Michalak Events Coordinator Kari Pederson
* Funding for these positions provided by Canada Summer Jobs. DESIGN
Community Animator* Sara Shams
Projektor Brand Image
Logistics & Equipment Assistant* Keara Campos
Warren’s Waterless
PRINTING Printing Inc.
info@notfarfromthetree.org 647.774.PICK (7425) www.notfarfromthetree.org Not Far From The Tree is a project of Tides Canada Initiatives Society, a registered Canadian charity. Charitable BN #13056 0188 RR0001