Jagger Gordon’s mission began in 2014 after he witnessed the copious amount of food going to waste following every catering gig he hosted with his catering company, Jagger Gordon Catering. He saw a problem and knew there had to be a more efficient way of dealing with our food wastage issue. To test his theory, Jagger decided to open up a pop-up kitchen in the Trinity Bellwood Park, on Queen Street West in Toronto. Within three hours, he served over three hundred meals to the community for free with food that would have otherwise been destined for the landfill. His theory was endorsed by this simple test and his deep desire to feed those less fortunate became his vision and mission in life… Feed Families was born.
Feed Families started with one freezer placed on a private property and filled with frozen healthy meals which were made available for ten families. Over a short period of time that one freezer turned into seven freezers and shortly thereafter, those initial ten families turned into a significant number of families and individuals in need of the Feed Families freezer program. The name change to Feed it Forward took place in 2015 because of Chef Jagger’s vision of the widespread need for a greater reach. His entrepreneurial spirit took shape and he started at the grassroots level, with a small army of dedicated volunteers, serving over 1200 people a hot meal during the Christmas of 2016, and then continued to offer hot and nutritious meals on the streets of Toronto, every Monday night at Nathan Phillips Square. This went on for months until he realized that one night per week was simply not enough.
Jagger came upon a unique opportunity to capture one of the shipping containers outside the Scadding Court Community Centre. At first he was told there was a waiting list, but after hearing his story, a shipping container was fast-tracked and on May 4, 2017, The Soup Bar was launched, the first ever Pay What You Can Free Restaurant in the city of Toronto. Soon, he captured the hearts of many restauranteurs, farmers, growers, and bakeries who continue to donate food to his cause. Every day, Jagger reinvests every monetary donation that is received to buy luncheon meat to make sandwiches and healthy ingredients to make his hearty, exotic soups to entice the taste buds of his paying and non-paying customers.
In eight short months, Feed it Forward has become a well-known name not only in Toronto, but nationwide. Thanks to various social media channels, local news providers, media outlets, faithful supporters, community talk and appreciation, Feed it Forward has grown at a rapid pace, allowing Chef Jagger to be involved in more branches of the Feed it Forward organization. This past year we were able to feed over 2000 people a healthy, hot and festive Christmas dinner. Chef Jagger is now rescuing food from Ontario grocery stores, farmers and growers, bakeries, distributors, and restaurants. Thousands of kilos of food a week that would have been destined to garbage bins, are rescued and made into delicious and healthy soups and healthy snacks for those in need. Presently we are also delivering food to four In Out of the Cold Programs and Shelters in the GTA.
Early this year, Chef Jagger will be launching the first of its kind, Feed it Forward Pay What You Can Free, No Waste Grocery Store, along with the launch of Chef Jagger’s own app creation, called Need to Feed. Additionally, a three month pilot project will commence in early spring, providing college and university students access to healthy frozen meals at a third of the cost, delivered to their doorsteps.
Until now, Chef Jagger has achieved what he has been able to do through his hard work, drive and dedication with no external financial support. In order to meet the demands of these upcoming projects and initiatives we require financial support through corporate and personal monetary contributions and donations. The more we can do, the more people we feed, but we need your help to do so. Please visit our site to make a donation at www.feeditforward.ca/donate to help make a difference. Collectively we are unstoppable!
Chef Jagger is determined to change the Canadian laws on food wastage. Please visit www.feeditforward.ca/petition and sign the petition. With only 3000 more signatures before reaching his goal of 100,000 signatures. Once this goal is reached, Chef Jagger will personally visit Parliament Hill to initiate this change so that healthy and nutritious food can lawfully be diverted to feed Canadians in need.
Your support of the Feed it Forward programs and initiatives is appreciated and valued.
It takes a village.
