JerkFest Donates $10K to Two Food Banks Ahead of Thanksgiving

Afri-Can FoodBasket and Regeneration Marketplace Benefit from the Festival Food Drive

For Immediate Release:                    

October 5, 2022 (Toronto, ON) -  After a successful Jerk Food and Music Festival with record-breaking attendance, today Caribbean Promotions Arts and Culture Inc., organizers of the summer event donated $5000 each to Afri-Can FoodBasket and Regeneration MarketPlace  as well as food collected at the festival from attendees. “We have always implemented a give back model in our Jerk Food and Music Festival,” explained Anthony Plummer, Executive Director of Caribbean Promotions Arts and Culture Inc. “Over the 21 year history of the JerkFest, we have donated cash, supplies, scholarships and much more to the African-Caribbean community locally and internationally. With food insecurity being a major issue during the pandemic, and now due to high inflation, we felt we could be of service to racialized and marginalized communities who are struggling to put food on the table.

More than one-quarter of Black households in Toronto are food insecure, representing about 300,000 children alone. Black Torontonians are three-and-a-half times more likely to be food insecure than others.When the COVID-19 pandemic began, food insecurity worsened in the city’s Black communities. Afri-Can FoodBasket responded with Black Food Toronto, a traditional food bank that helped to meet immediate needs for access to culturally appropriate food. During the pandemic, Black Food Toronto distributed one million pounds of food with support from CABR, Community Food Centers Canada, Network for the Advancement of Black Communities, and the public. 

“The JerkFest Food drive helped our commitment to increase food access and reduce hunger in the African, Caribbean, Black community,” said Zakiya Tafari, Afri-Can Interim Executive Director. “Additionally, having an information booth at JerkFest gave us an opportunity to engage with patrons which helped us raise awareness about food insecurity and recruit volunteers.” 

Regeneration runs a meal program in downtown Brampton serving more than 250 breakfast and lunches weekly and three years ago launched Regeneration Marketplace, which provides food for 430 families per week. The appointment based food bank allows households to come in each week to access food, personal care items and seasonal necessities. It serves a diverse population that has grown dramatically due to inflation, high grocery costs and post-pandemic recovery. 

"Regeneration strives to serve with love and dignity- and at this time of heightened food insecurity,” explained Ted Brown, CEO of Regeneration. “This generous support from JerkFest will bolster our efforts to provide meaningful care to those in the Brampton community that need it most."

With Thanksgiving approaching this weekend, both food banks are encouraging culturally specific food donations such as low-sodium canned beans and chickpeas, rice, low sugar products and non-perishable food items.  

Media Contact: Fennella Bruce | FKB Media | Fennella@fkbmedia.com | 647.290.7610

Click here: Photos of Cheque Presentation

Click here:  Toronto Black Food Sovereignty Plan

Click here:  Food Bank Broll

About The International Jerk Food and Music Festival 

JerkFest Toronto is a 21-year annual event celebrating jerk cuisine and Caribbean culture produced by not-for-profit Caribbean Promotions Arts & Culture Inc. More than 60 000 people attend each year in Etobicoke’s Centennial Park. JerkFest has been voted by BlogTO as one of Toronto's top 50 must-attend summer events in 2018 and 2019, and one of Ontario's top 100 festivals since 2011.

About Afri-Can

The Afri-Can FoodBasket is a community based non-profit organization that has been at the forefront of championing Food Justice and Food Sovereignty for Toronto’s African, Caribbean, Black (ACB) community since 1995. In response to the impact COVID-19 was having on members of our community, Afri-Can launched the BlackFoodToronto program in May 2020 as a food sovereignty initiative. The program reduced food insecurity by coordinating weekly deliveries of fresh, healthy, culturally sensitive fruits and vegetables at no cost to members of the African Caribbean Black community.

About Regeneration

Regeneration started in 1999 as a “living room for those without a living room,” – a safe, caring, and respectful space for the homeless and vulnerable. Centered around nurturing relationships, Regeneration sought to meet both the practical and spiritual needs of guests, even if that just meant a cup of coffee and a listening ear. Over the past decade, Regeneration has seen tremendous growth and made an enormous impact on the people of Brampton. What was once a four-day breakfast program has multiplied into a 365-day-a-year multi-site organization that offers diverse and practical services including the meal program and the Marketplace food bank serving upwards of 400 households per week.

Fennella Bruce