IT’S A SUNNY fall day as I climb into the Second Harvest truck. We’re off to a late start because of the weekly drivers’ meeting, which this week, was a forum to discuss safety issues.

Tom, the driver, has already loaded up the truck and our first stop of the day will be at the Scott Mission on Spadina. The front doors are locked, but there are about a dozen men waiting for the doors to open. Tom steers the big truck through the narrow driveway and carefully backs it up. Ron, the kitchen manager, comes out and chats with Tom about what he needs, and the work begins. Tom passes food to me, I put it on a conveyer belt which slides down into the kitchen in the basement, and the kitchen workers unload it. They take about 150 pounds of frozen meat, a massive box of broccoli crowns, a case of hot chocolate, and two boxes of pastries that the clients will have for breakfast shortly. Ron also asks for the three boxes of oatmeal, which he’ll save for the winter.

Driver Tom Montag prepares to unload food at the front lines of hunger.

From there, we drive to C.O.R.E., the Centre for Opportunities, Respect and Empowerment. The clients are adults and teens with severe mental health issues. Second Harvest, in addition to dropping off food there, has partnered with C.O.R.E. for the Harvest Kitchens program, which uses our food to train their clients in kitchen services. Tom loads up lots of trays of prepared food, which has been made by the chef and his students.

Down to The Esplanade, where we get stuck behind a film shoot, eventually making it to our next stop, a law office. They donate four bags of Crisco, an odd donation if ever there was one! Then a quick stop at the Hot House Café on Front Street to give them a couple of boxes of empty trays. Hot House is one of the restaurants that donate to Second Harvest, and the quality of their food is always excellent.

We move on to Alexandra Park, where we’re met by three well-dressed Chinese women who arrive with shopping carts. They’re pleased with the Crisco donation, which they’ll use for baking, and also take some of the broccoli and lettuce.

We weave our way slowly through Kensington Market, ending up at the Corner Drop In. Three of the volunteers come out with the chef and take the Harvest Kitchens meals, which will be dinner for the kids who come to the after-school program.

It’s down to the Royal York Hotel, which needs a pick-up between 11:30 and 12:30 every day. The hotel is a maze of stairs and hallways and elevators, but Tom knows all the shortcuts. In no time, we’re in the massive kitchen, filling four bags with fresh pastries which weren’t served at breakfast that morning.

Then we’re off to Hilton Toronto . Tom runs in, grabs more pastries and some prepared food in trays, and we’re on our way.

After a quick lunch break, we’re back on the road, stopping at a catering company which gives us a tray packed with rice and beef. The phone rings and it’s Sam, from Dispatch, asking us to add another pick-up to the list. The next drop-off is a shelter with a cantankerous chef, but Tom does a great job of talking him into taking some frozen turkey. From there we go to a Parkdale shelter, where we’re met by a stream of clients ready to unload the truck. One of the clients yells,“I hope you have fresh stuff today!” and Tom good-naturedly says “Of course – we always do!” We unload three boxes of frozen steak, salad, broccoli, lettuce, and pastries from the hotels. As we climb back in the truck the phone rings -- Sam is adding another pick-up to the list.

It’s Friday afternoon and congestion is setting in throughout the downtown core. Tom calmly steers the truck through the traffic, stopping at a web company that had a staff barbeque but has lots of untouched leftovers. Then it’s a slow ride up Spadina, stopping to pick up 8 trays of vegetables. One more pick-up at Aramark, where we get some beautiful wrapped sandwiches, and we’re on our way.

Tom makes a quick call to Father Lenny of Street Connection to confirm that he’s at the church for the drop-off; Father Lenny responds with an enthusiastic,“Bring it on!” Once we get to the church, Father Lenny and one of his elderly volunteers unload the rest of the truck. They serve about 2,000 people a month, so he’ll use every last drop. He takes everything: potato salad, macaroni salad, some pop, and raves about the sandwiches which he says are perfect for folks living on the street.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, the day on the truck has been a great reminder of all the things to be grateful for. It’s a great feel­ing to return to the warehouse with an empty truck, knowing that because of Second Harvest, thousands of people will not go hungry.