32 organizations and initiatives helping frontline healthcare workers in Toronto
Frontline healthcare workers are the heroes of our time, putting their own health and wellbeing on the line every single day.
Over the past few months, Toronto residents, businesses and organizations have found creative ways to say thank you.
While some have chosen to take to their balconies with pots and pans every evening to cheer on healthcare workers, others have been diligently delivering meals, running errands or sewing masks to show their support.
Here are some notable initiatives and organizations across the city that have been helping frontline workers during the pandemic.
Food and Restaurants
Feed the Frontlines
This initiative, that not only feeds healthcare workers but also helps support struggling local restaurants and their employees, has already raised over $375,000 in donations.
Marinara Boys
This group, comprised of Sugo and owners from other loved Italian restaurants in Toronto, has been making hot meals for food banks and hospitals like St. Joseph’s and Sick Kids.
Neighbourhood Food Hub
This community hub in Little India has been delivering fresh fruit and vegetables to the Glen Rhodes Food Bank, as well as seniors and vulnerable families through a partnership with FoodShare Toronto.
The Oxley Pub
With help from its generous customers, this Yorkville pub has been preparing and delivering lasagnas for those in need at the Good Shepherd Ministries.
Meals On The Move
Toronto Raptors superfan Nav Bhatia and his foundation's campaign have been delivering meals in a food truck to both staff and residents at hospitals, long-term care centres, food banks and shelters.
Sustain the Line
This initiative, that acts much like a matchmaking service, connects donors with small food businesses they want to support, who in turn pay it forward by delivering meals to those on the front lines.
Stand TOgether - Feed our Heroes
Restaurants like Nando's and Paramount Fine Foods teamed up in this initiative to provide complimentary and discounted meals, food vouchers and gift cards to hospital and long-term care staff.
Cafe Landwer
This Toronto restaurant launched a community-based program that provides frontline workers at Mount Sinai Hospital and other hospitals with healthy lunches. The restaurant matches every dollar donated.
Mission Lasagna
This fine-dining Italian restaurant has transformed its name and concept to help feed frontline workers. Now known as Mission Lasagna, this restaurant delivers 19 different types of lasagnas, which are all named in honour of nurses back in Italy, to local charities every week.
Inforce Foundation
Rallying support from the Tamil community, this not-for-profit has been feeding frontline workers at hospitals like Scarborough General and Markham-Stouffville, as well as long-term care facilities.
Mercado Negro
This restaurant delivers groceries to those at St. Agnes’ Parish church who are creating food baskets for families in need. There’s also a donation box on their patio for those who want to donate non-perishable food items to the food bank.
Thank You Frontline TO
What started as an initiative to sell lawn signs to show appreciation for healthcare workers switched over to raising money to deliver meals from Wayne Gretzky’s Restaurant to hospitals.
Dino’s Pizza
This Toronto pizza joint started giving out their famous wood-fired pizzas to police officers, fire departments, healthcare workers and the homeless before scaling deliveries back to hospitals.
Meals TO Heal
Jeff Packer and Div Mehra started this initiative by partnering with the founder and CEO behind health-conscious cafe chain IQ Foods Co. They've gone on to raise more than $43,000 in support of healthcare workers.
Naan and Kabob
This halal Afghan chain has partnered with Uber Eats to deliver free meals to frontline workers and have delivered to a number of hospitals including St. Michael’s Hospital, Mount Sinai, Michael Garron and Markham-Stouffville.
Feed the Frontline
Filipino street food restaurant Kanto by Tita Flips and non-profit Adhika launched this campaign. For every $5 raised, one meal was delivered to a frontline worker.
Grocery
Grocery Hero
This free grocery delivery service matches medical professionals with a volunteer in their neighbourhood so that they don't have to worry about going to the grocery store and risk further spread of the virus.
Toronto Healthcare Worker COVID-19 Support Initiative
Thought up by a group of medical students from the University of Toronto, this group has connected healthcare workers with volunteers to assist with anything from grocery and pharmacy runs to pet and child care.
PPE
Unika Swim
This swimwear company repurposed material provided by Adidas to create face masks for frontline workers. Donations have been made to hospitals, midwife clinics, as well as nursing and retirement homes.
Masks On
This network of high school students in the Greater Toronto Area created and facilitated the delivery of over 800 cloth face masks to hospitals, shelters and care homes throughout the province.
Inkbox
This semi-permanent tattoo startup in Toronto shifted part of its production to produce PPE for local healthcare workers including face shields, as well as hand sanitizer and cloth masks.
Conquer COVID-19
Ryan Reynolds and Hayley Wickenheiser have both teamed up with this group of physicians, entrepreneurs and volunteers, which ensured that frontline workers had access to essential supplies.
Stop COVID-19
The CPAC Foundation is raising funds in order to provide frontline healthcare workers with surgical masks. So far 200,000 have been delivered to hospitals and social service agencies. And another 400,000 masks have been ordered.
PPE for HCPs
This organization works with healthcare providers to organize and supply PPE to staff at hospitals, long-term care and assisted-living facilities and shelters. If you want to help by sewing masks at home, the group will deliver recycled fabric and other materials right to your door.
Plas-Tech
Switching productions nearly overnight to provide much-needed protective wear to frontline healthcare workers, this family-owned plastic fabrication company has become one of Ontario’s leading suppliers of PPE.
3D PPE
Health professional students from the University of Toronto and McMaster University started this initiative that uses 3D-printers to produce face shields for healthcare staff — over 18,000 have been delivered already.
Project Northern Lights
This national non-profit has organized a volunteer-run supply chain of PPE production and delivery to the communities and workers that need them most. And over 1,300 pieces of PPE have been created and delivered so far.
Accommodation
Frontline Stays
This new Airbnb initiative connects medical professionals and healthcare workers with hosts who are offering their homes free of charge so that they can be closer to work or safely distance from their families.
Health Worker Housing
This volunteer initiative that runs across a number of cities in Canada including Toronto, connects healthcare workers with low-cost, short-term housing while they fight COVID-19.
StayWell
This Toronto-based charity that provides temporary housing at a reduced cost for patients and their families undergoing hospital treatment, expanded its offering to healthcare workers.
Grand Hotel & Suites
This hotel near Dundas and Jarvis has been offering free accommodation to frontline doctors and nurses working at nearby downtown hospitals.
Heroes in our Hotel
Thanks to the generosity of donors who have stepped up to cover the cost of all rooms and cleaning, nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers have been staying for free at the boutique Annex Hotel.
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