ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
CALM AT THE CENTRE OF THE STORM
NEIL HETHERINGTON '91
“This is the most difficult thing we’ve ever experienced as a nation.” - Neil Hetherington
BY LAUREN ALPERN
As the CEO of the Daily Bread Food Bank, Neil Hetherington ’91 has been working long hours every day since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. But despite the fact that he has had to borrow a spin bike from Rocket Cycle to steal a spare moment to exercise in his office whenever he can, he thrives on the stress and is uplifted by the kindness and generosity he has seen from people in the community. Since the start of the lockdown, Daily Bread has gone from serving 15,000 per week to almost 25,000 per week, while numerous food banks have had to close down, specifically those housed in vulnerable areas. “This is the most difficult thing we’ve ever experienced as a nation. We talk about how we’re all in this storm together, which is true, but we’re all in different circumstances. Some of us are in a canoe and some of us are on a cruise ship. Some of us are able to weather this far better. When the announcement came from the Minister of Health to stockpile two weeks of food, that wasn’t possible for the people that we serve. We have seen about a 30 per cent increase across the board,” said Neil. “It was already a crisis before the pandemic hit. Now even more people are closer to food insecurity.” Neil, who has been at the helm of the non-profit organization since January 2018, is fully engaged in the challenge of feeding those who need it – while keeping the clients and staff as safe as possible. Through a partnership with GlobalMedic, Daily Bread now has a field tent in the parking lot, allowing food bank clients to get what they need without having to enter the building, and at a distance from those who prepare the food. “We’re really focusing on the core aspects that have to happen for the food bank to operate,” said Neil, who started at RSGC in Grade 7. “We have two groups of staff who work different shifts, while individuals who can work from home 100 per cent of the time are doing that. We’ve also decreased the number of volunteers from 125 to 20. The workload isn’t the same, so we can’t do what we were doing before. We’ve had to purchase more food, so we don’t have to sort it. Of course, everyone is wearing the proper PPE.”
Neil, who was previously the CEO of Dixon Hall Neighbourhood Services, and Habitat for Humanity Toronto and New York City, has been deemed an essential worker during the pandemic, but doesn’t worry about the risk to himself. “I think the risk is greater if we don’t do what we have to do,” he said. “The risk to those who are experiencing poverty is tremendous if Daily Bread were to ever shut down. Our goal is simple. We have to make sure everyone gets the food they need and do it in a safe way. The risk is greater if we don’t carry on.”
Neil brings his dog, Charlie, to work whenever he can.
"I get motivated and I’m uplifted by the work that we do."
With Daily Bread 100 per cent reliant on donations, Neil has been heartened by the support during such a difficult time. “We’ve had kids do food drives on their streets. In May, Rocket Cycle did a spin class from our warehouse and they raised $17,000 for us. Film producer Gary Slaight gave us $1 million,” said Neil, who mentioned that they have partnerships with farms, where they get a lot of food that doesn’t make it to stores. “People have risen to the occasion and provided hope to so many people.” Luckily for Neil, these uplifting moments have helped to keep a smile on his face while he spends most of his time working. “I’m at work all the time and I have been since the pandemic started. And that’s okay. I’m grateful that I’ve got a job that I love and grateful that the work we do is meaningful,” said Neil, whose dog, a Yellow Lab named Charlie, often makes an appearance at work. “I’m definitely one of the fortunate ones put into the position of being an essential worker without knowing it. I get motivated and I’m uplifted by the work that we do.” Sarah Diebel, Chair of the Board of Directors at Daily Bread for the past eight years, couldn’t be happier to have Neil running the show during the pandemic. “He has thrived in the challenge and more than risen to the occasion,” said Sarah. “He has been our fearless leader at the head of this and I think that the whole community of Toronto and the food bank community of Canada has benefited from his leadership.” Sarah is so impressed by all that Neil has brought to the organization since he has taken over, including a different level of sophistication to the business side of things, stewardship, business acumen, limitless energy and drive. “You just don’t see him get worn down – the guy is a machine. It’s so obvious that this is not a career or a job – it’s a calling, and he lives it every day,” said Sarah. “He’s an exceptional leader and we’re very lucky to have him. He’s a gift to all of us and certainly the Daily Bread as a community is better to have him. We’re lucky to have that high level of sophistication and the dedication to helping people.” If you would like to make a donation to the Daily Bread Food Bank, visit dailybread.ca/ways-to-give/
“People have risen to the occasion and provided hope to so many people.”