Halal food bank opens to serve Muslim Londoners in need

Article content

A London organization is launching a new food bank for Muslims in need. The Halal Food Bank officially launched last month and is planning a move to a larger space in London as it builds capacity to help families in need. Our Jennifer Bieman reports.  

THE LATEST

The Halal Food Bank at 589 Wonderland Rd. N. is a spin-off of a smaller halal food support program that was run by Caring Canadians Society since 2019, said Amna Saleem, founder and president of the new food bank. 

Article content

“Of all the projects the Caring Canadians Society was involved in, the halal food program was something people were very interested in and there was a great need. So we made it its own entity,” she said.  

The new food bank is serving approximately 260 individuals each month, Saleem said. In the last week, the organization has received 67 additional intake applications, she said. 

The Halal Food Bank has been taking in food donations from several London businesses and support from the Islamic Centre of Southwest Ontario and London Food Bank. In recent weeks, it’s amassed shelving and received donated freezers to store halal meat. 

The Halal Food Bank will be opening at a new, larger location next month, Saleem said. While the organization is intended to provide assistance to halal-observant Londoners, the food bank is open to anyone in need of support, she said.  

WHAT IS HALAL FOOD?

Halal is an Arabic word that translates to “permissible” and describes foods that adhere to Islamic law, as defined in the Qur’an. In the Islamic faith, pork and its derivatives – including gelatin – are considered haram, or forbidden.  

Article content

Article content

While many pantry staples are halal, some – such as varieties of spreads and mac and cheese – may or may not be depending on the brand, Saleem said.  

For meat, animals must be slaughtered according to Islamic dietary laws and regulations to be considered Halal.  

COMMUNITY NEED

While community organizations, such as the London Food Bank, collect a variety of foods for individuals with specific dietary needs, the Halal Food Bank provides a dedicated spot where low-income Londoners can reliably access halal foods, Saleem said.  

“There’s a large number of people in need who exclusively depend on halal food. We want to make it easy for them. Whatever they pick from here, they don’t have to worry or double-check the label,” she said.  

The agency is accepting food donations and financial contributions so it can buy halal meat for families in need.  

The food bank wants to work with other local employment agencies in the future so it can help connect clients with job-search assistance, Saleem said.  

HOW WE GOT HERE

The new initiative is launching at a time when the London Food Bank and other food security agencies in the city are reporting record demand for assistance, as cost-of-living and inflationary pressures put food out of reach for more Londoners.  

Article content

The London Food Bank provides support to about 40 different organizations, including the Halal Food Bank, said Glen Pearson, co-executive director of the London Food Bank.  

The London Food Bank is in a position to lend a hand because of the generosity of Londoners, but also the networks it has created with other food banks and large corporate donors, Pearson said. But that support is not permanent.  

“We’re taking it in a case-by-case basis, a year at a time,” Pearson said Saturday, adding the Halal Food Bank and others do a tremendous job serving their target populations. “We have what it takes to meet the need, but it’s always a challenge. We’re now feeding 10 per cent of London.” 

It can be difficult for smaller organizations to make a go of it in the long-term, Pearson said. While the ongoing generosity of the community and donors is always humbling, food banks are not the solution to poverty, he said.  

“It’s the system that’s broken,” Pearson said, adding people on social assistance are no longer the only cohort seeking help from food banks. “We’ve got the smartest population we’ve ever had, the wealthiest population in terms of what we produce, and yet we can’t solve our social problems.”  

jbieman@postmedia.com 

Article content