THE GREEN LINE
ORIGINAL STORY
Beyond a food bank: Jamestown builds a third space with essential services
The Green Line team visited the Albion Food Space to learn how the unique partnership between a food bank and public library is helping Jamestown residents overcome food insecurity as well as social isolation.
Chashma Akram, manager of the Albion Food Space, stands outside the food bank that operates out of a shipping container at 1515 Albion Rd.
: MARY NEWMAN/The Green Line.
AMANDA SERAPHINA JAMES RAJAKUMAR
Indian immigrant with a post-grad in journalism from Centennial College. Now living in Grange Park, meeting new people, and hearing different stories. Has four names, so it’s a pick-your-player situation.
MARY NEWMAN
British-Canadian journalist with a decade’s experience producing for the BBC and CBC. Hails from Robin Hood country so naturally hates wealth inequality and loves organized labour. Now resides in the dog paradise of Roncesvalles.
Nov. 28, 2025
How to build community while providing essential services
- Build partnerships with local public services, such as libraries, to use their space to run a food bank.
- Organize programs at the library to encourage food bank clients to participate with other locals.
- Collaborate with clothing banks, employment services, fresh food markets and more to provide a one-stop hub.
- Engage clients by running community advocacy groups on matters that affect the neighbourhood.
- Empower clients to be neighbourhood ambassadors, sharing the word about the food bank.
Beyond the basic needs of food and shelter, we're all looking for community and connection.
In Jamestown, a neighbourhood in north Etobicoke, one food bank is not only addressing food insecurity, but also providing an important third space for locals.
Jamestown residents line up outside the food bank inside shipping containers at 1515 Albion Rd.
: Amanda Seraphina/The Green Line.
According to the 2025 Who's Hungry report, there were over 4.1 million food bank visits last year. Meanwhile, a 2023 survey found that over half of Canadians were staying home to save on costs, causing one in five to feel socially isolated.
Chashma Akram, manager of the Albion Food Space, says social determinants of health, such as income, education and employment, influence access to food.
“Food insecurity does really run parallel with the other social determinants of health. Food insecurity mainly comes from financial constraint to afford food. What that also means is that now there's less money for the other essential needs, [such as] medication, children, your family and those really essential needs and services for somebody's livelihood and most importantly, mental health."
She adds that food insecurity and mental health can influence each other: financial constraints can lead to food insecurity, which can worsen mental health, and poor mental health can in turn contribute to financial difficulties and further food insecurity.
Chashma Akram, manager of the Albion Food Space (left) stands with Katy Chiappetta, a Jamestown resident (middle) and others outside the shipping containers at 1515 Albion Rd.
: Amanda Seraphina/The Green Line.
The Albion Library Community Food Space addresses both food insecurity and social isolation at no cost to residents.
It was launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. When businesses were closed, the Albion public library offered its space to North York Harvest Food Bank to run its services.
Today, that partnership continues to grow with the food bank operating out of a shipping container on Wednesdays and Fridays while community programming runs inside the library all week long.
“[Through] a lot of the services that we offer through the library, such as programming — like our user education programs, for example —we take the feedback from our customers. So if they're requesting something specific, we do try to incorporate that and specifically with the food bank," says Kara Miley, the senior branch manager at Albion TPL.
"Food banks are so vital at the moment just due to everything that's happening with the economy and with food prices being so high, so it's just one of those natural partnerships that evolved.”
The Albion Food Space serves 2,600 clients every month, 31 per cent of whom are children and youth.
Katy Chiappetta, a Jamestown resident, stands under the tent set up by North York Harvest Food Bank at 1515 Albion Rd.
: Mary Newman/The Green Line.
Katy Chiappetta, a Jamestown resident, shares that she enjoys using the library services and participating in activities she’s discovered since coming to the Albion Food Space.
“The food and the clothing and the market, all I want is one stop for me. Then it's easier on me because I walk. I don't have a car. So it's physically easier. And I don't have to worry."
North York Harvest Food Bank sets up a board with posters on using their food space at 1515 Albion Rd.
: Mary Newman/The Green Line.
North York Harvest Food Bank continues to build spaces across the region.
At Albion, it’s taking a step further by partnering with a mobile clothing bank, participating in local food festivals and running community advocacy groups.
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