A new initiative for Kerr Street Mission has been created to reconnect immigrant families with traditional recipes that they may be deprived of at other food banks.
Rohan Tuli, a volunteer at Kerr Street Mission (KSM), has initiated a program called The Spice Shelf. This project aims to rekindle the culinary traditions of immigrant families by providing them with authentic spices, allowing them to prepare meals reflective of their cultural heritage.
In an interview, Tuli shared the inspiration behind The Spice Shelf and its impact on the community: "Through volunteering with the mission, I learned that a large portion of our clients were immigrant families."
"Being raised in an immigrant household, I knew these immigrant families from around the globe also carried with them traditional recipes which are essential to their cultures," he explained.
With dependance on food banks rising all throughout Canada, Tuli recognized that immigrant clients were not able to access the kind of ingredients they were accustomed to.
In Q4 2022, KSM served an average of 845 people per week. In their busiest week, KSM served over 1,350 clients in Q4 2023, and the prediction says the numbers will only increase in 2024.
With the need identified and the support of the staff at Kerr Street Mission, Tuli created The Spice Shelf through the Mission's new Adopt a Shelf program.
In a written statement from Kerr Street Mission, "adopt a Shelf is a food donation program which allows organizations, groups, churches or individuals to adopt a shelf in KSM’s food market to ensure there is consistent supply of important food items."
"A shelf can be adopted for a week, two weeks, a month or even longer. The commitment will foster a deeper connection between the donor and client."
In June 2023, Tuli and KSM put in their first order of roughly 250 diverse spices ranging from Rai to Turmeric.
"I remember coming to check up on the stock the following week and seeing the spices that were put out had all been completely collected," Tuli said.
Tuli's involvement at the food bank has been consistent throughout his youth, explaining it's been a tradition he picked up from his grandfather. "Growing up, my grandfather would always take me to volunteer at his local food bank on our birthdays."
"His commitment to service and giving back to the community deeply resonated with me. So, in my high school years, I looked for ways to start consistently volunteering with food banks in my own community. In the 10th Grade, I found Kerr Street Mission."
Kerr Street Mission commented on this initiative saying, "KSM’s goal for Food Services is to provide families with access to healthy, nutritious, and culturally sensitive food options consistently."
"They rely on the support of community partners, donors, and local producers to ensure that the shelves in the market stay stocked and clients are empowered to make informed eating choices for themselves and their families supporting their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing."
The Mission is still looking for donations of either spices or funds that can be used to keep The Spice Shelf stocked.