Vaughan mall parking lot turned into grocery distribution centre

‘I challenged some of my staff to see what we can do to reach out to the community and utilize our parking lot’

Yorkregion.com
May 8, 2020
Dina Al-Shibeeb

On May 3, Vaughan Mills, coupled with Hand Up Toronto volunteers, have sent off a total of 560 grocery care packages to families in need amid the COVID-19 pandemic. From the total figure of the packages that were distributed, about 320 were picked up on site at Vaughan Mills on Sunday and another 240 were delivered to homes directly.

Hand Up Toronto was formed after food insecurity rose to the fore as an issue from the pandemic. The organization says they have a whopping number of more than 20,000 families, who have signed up to receive some help.

The charitable, compassionate act has entered the second week in a row and is expected to continue.

“Well, they're (Hand Up Toronto) are going to be here next week. I know for a fact. We basically (have) made it available for them as long as we are closed to the public but as soon as we open to the public, we can't really do that anymore due to the fact that the parking lot will be utilized for customers,” Vaughan Mills General Manager Stephen Gascoine said.

Gascoine says the Vaughan Mills team is “thrilled” so far that the organization is able to “utilize” their parking lot during “this very difficult and trying time... for this great cause that they have for helping to feed children and families that are in need.”

But how did this creative idea come about?

“With the shopping centre being closed, I challenged some of my staff, especially my marketing department, to see what we can do to reach out to the community and utilize our parking lot,” Gascoine said.

“Our marketing department found and came up with the Hands Up Toronto charity group, and so we partnered with them,” especially since the organization was having issues finding a location.

In addition, Vaughan Mills has already gave Hand Up Toronto as well as the Vaughan Food Bank some monetary donation.

Despite the efforts, Hand Up Toronto, which is giving families up to four days’ worth of food including staples for healthy meals, wasn’t able to hand out grocery care packages to all of the registered families.