In the heart of two of North America’s most prosperous regions—Toronto’s Muskoka and New York’s Westchester County—a quiet crisis is unfolding. Despite the stately homes, high-end shops, and images of affluence, hunger is a constant companion for many. But on both sides of the border, a new generation of food rescue leaders and community partners are finding ways to fight back against food waste and insecurity, turning surplus into sustenance and neighbors into allies.
Chef Jagger Gordon’s journey to the front lines of Canada’s food rescue movement began in the most personal of ways. As reported by Bluedot, his childhood was marked by hunger—parents absent, empty cupboards, and the kindness of neighbors. But it wasn’t until his daughter’s sleepover revealed that her friend’s family had no breakfast to offer that Gordon truly understood the invisible nature of food insecurity, even in seemingly “good” neighborhoods. “She said it was because there was no food in the friend’s apartment,” Gordon recalled. That moment set him on a path from private security to culinary school, and ultimately, to a calling: ensuring no one wakes up hungry.
Gordon’s first foray into food philanthropy came in 2014, when a canceled catering event left him with a mountain of food. He set up an impromptu Thanksgiving pop-up at Toronto’s Trinity Bellwoods Park. The turnout was eye-opening. The sheer number of people in need convinced him to launch Feed It Forward, a nonprofit dedicated to feeding the food insecure and tackling Canada’s mounting food waste problem.
The statistics are staggering. According to a 2024 report from food charity Second Harvest, 46.5% of all food produced in Canada is wasted, with 41% of that—valued at $58 billion per year—entirely avoidable. Gordon has seen firsthand how “a bruised apple, a wrinkled pepper, or a banana with a brown spot” is routinely tossed out by grocery stores and restaurants, simply because it doesn’t meet consumer standards. Even best-before dates, he notes, are often just “a marketing concept so you throw it away and purchase something new.”
Determined to stem the tide, Gordon began collecting surplus food from local restaurants and placing it in public freezers around Toronto, accessible to anyone in need. The response was immediate—the food vanished almost as quickly as it appeared. With proceeds from his catering business, he opened The Soup Bar, a pay-what-you-can restaurant in downtown Toronto. This led to a sustainable meals program at local colleges and universities, where students could pay what they could afford for a bowl of soup. “Between all its programs, Feed It Forward has served nearly nine million meals,” Gordon told Bluedot.
In 2016, Gordon expanded his efforts with a pay-what-you-can grocery store in the Junction neighborhood, near Keele and Dundas streets. The store, also called Feed It Forward, operates on a simple premise: customers contribute to food waste reduction, feed their families at half the cost of other stores, and help subsidize free groceries for those who can’t afford them. The same year, he launched the Feed It Forward app, allowing people with excess food to connect directly with those in need. “I haven’t asked for a penny from anyone yet,” Gordon said, emphasizing that all these initiatives were self-funded—until now.
Gordon’s latest project is his most ambitious yet. Feed It Forward has expanded north into Muskoka, an area known for its multi-million dollar cottages but also home to deep pockets of poverty. Taking over a 31,000-square-foot plaza in Huntsville—formerly a Fresco on Cann Street—he’s launching Table Plaza in partnership with The Table Soup Kitchen Foundation. The facility will house a food bank, a 30-bed shelter, a warming and cooling center, and a soup kitchen. Gordon plans to step down as Feed It Forward CEO and take on the role of executive chef, focusing on creative meal solutions and program rollout. “I think I’m going to have to step on a little pedestal and start asking people for help,” he admitted, recognizing that the scale of the challenge now exceeds what one person—or even one organization—can manage alone.
South of the border, a similar battle is being waged in Westchester County, New York. Despite its reputation for wealth, 39% of households—more than one in three—are at risk of hunger, a number that has jumped 15% in just two years, according to United Way surveys cited by River Journal Online. Feeding Westchester, a nonprofit at the center of the county’s hunger-relief network, has mobilized over 300 corporate partners to help bridge the gap through donations, volunteer days, and event sponsorships.
Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts has emerged as a key ally. Since MGM acquired the casino in 2019, it has made significant financial contributions to Feeding Westchester, supporting programs like Retail Recovery—which last year alone prevented over five million pounds of good food from ending up in landfills—and Kids in the Kitchen, an initiative that teaches children and families about healthy cooking and nutrition. The latter began in Mount Vernon City School District and has since expanded to others.
“Empire City is a valued partner joining in our mission to nourish neighbors across Westchester,” said Tami Wilson, Chief Operating Officer of Feeding Westchester. She emphasized the urgent need for private sector involvement, especially as “deep cuts to SNAP ahead” threaten to leave vulnerable groups—including single parents, veterans, working families, and seniors—with even fewer options.
The casino’s employees have also stepped up, volunteering hundreds of hours at food distribution events across Yonkers, Mount Vernon, and the wider region. This year’s Golden Scoop competition—a spirited race to pack the most food in the shortest time—resulted in 2,100 bags of produce, or more than 14,000 meals, for Westchester seniors. MGM Resorts has already surpassed its companywide goal of one million volunteer hours by 2025, a milestone that underscores its broader commitment to community service.
“As more of our neighbors face food insecurity, the resources local organizations need is increasing,” said Taryn Duffy, spokesperson for Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts. “MGM Resorts is incredibly honored to be able to support initiatives to address food insecurity through our nonprofit partners, including Feeding Westchester.”
Both Gordon’s Feed It Forward and Feeding Westchester’s network of partners demonstrate the power of creative thinking, community engagement, and cross-sector collaboration in tackling the twin challenges of food waste and hunger. But as grocery prices rise and federal safety nets shrink, the need for bold, scalable solutions has never been greater. Whether it’s a chef in Muskoka transforming a plaza into a lifeline or a casino in Yonkers rallying staff and resources, the message is clear: no one should go hungry in the shadow of abundance.
