BMO partners with Thunder Woman Healing Lodge Society to address food insecurity this holiday season
In Toronto, food insecurity has reached an all-time high, with more than one in ten people relying on food banks. In 2024 alone, there was a 36 per cent increase in food bank visits, totaling 3.49 million. These numbers paint a picture of the urgent need for community support and sustainable solutions to combat hunger.
The Thunder Woman Healing Lodge Society (TWHLS) is stepping up to address this critical issue with a vision to create lasting change. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TWHLS launched the Food Security and Basic Needs Initiative, which provides vital resources to Indigenous women navigating life on probation, parole or bail.
For many Indigenous women, post-incarceration life presents significant barriers. Limited access to safe housing, employment readiness programs and self-employment training opportunities often perpetuates cycles of poverty, unemployment and homelessness. Initiatives like the Food Security and Basic Needs Initiative are crucial in breaking these cycles and fostering long-term stability for women rebuilding their lives.
This year, BMO proudly partnered with the Aboriginal Labour Force Development Circle (ALFDC) to financially support the 4th Annual Tkaronto Turkey Day. On December 20, volunteers distributed 600 hampers to TWHLS clients and local community members containing a family-sized turkey and traditional sides to assist Indigenous families with food security support for the holiday season.
“The team at Thunder Woman Healing Lodge Society, whose mission is to break the cycle of Indigenous women’s over-representation in Canada’s prisons and provide a safe place to reclaim wellness, is nothing short of inspiring. As a banking partner and ally, BMO is proud to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life by supporting progress for TWHLS clients with banking solutions, donations and volunteerism.”
– Dan Adams
Vice President, BMO Indigenous Banking
At BMO, we recognize that addressing food insecurity requires more than immediate relief – it demands long-term, sustainable and innovative solutions. One way we’re delivering on this is through our collaboration with the Regina Food Bank to open Canada’s first at-scale choice-model food bank, the BMO ASAHTOWIKAMIK Community Food Hub. The Food Hub empowers individuals with a no-cost shopping experience to choose items they need, aligned with their own cultural and dietary requirements. This space offers financial and nutritional literacy and Indigenous-led food sovereignty programming, helping reduce barriers and stigma to accessing nutrition by also building a stronger foundation for food security within the community.
Together, we remain steadfast in our commitment to strengthening the communities we serve by driving inclusion and equitable growth for everyone. Through collaboration, we’re creating pathways to stability and a future where fewer people face food insecurity.
