Not Far From The Tree was launched with the vision that Torontonians could come together, pick, and share fruit that would otherwise go to waste. This is a simple idea, motivated by deep convictions. It calls us to be more compassionate residents of this diverse city and better stewards of our urban environment.

As Not Far From The Tree enters its seventh season, that vision flourishes. Through the support of our donors, 2013 yielded the most impact we’ve had in terms of volunteers engaged, trees picked, and fresh fruit donated to food banks and social service organizations across Toronto.

This record activity stretches the organization’s capacity. But it also serves as a catalyst to deliver services more effectively. Looking ahead to 2014, we will be making strategic changes, such as upgrading technology to improve pick scheduling and coordination, and adding expertise to the Steering Committee.

We are constantly looking for ways to serve Toronto better. This includes engaging a wider range of people and proactively encour-aging inclusive participation, a bedrock of a thriving community.

Coordinating hundreds of tree picks, thousands of volunteers, and deliveries to dozens of organizations in a season is complex. We would not succeed without the extraordinary dedication of Not Far From The Tree’s staff, who pull all of the pieces together. To ensure that this good work is fruitful, our operations require sustained funding.

Chair’s letter

In order to meet that challenge, our financial model is shifting: we are working to become more sustainable through the direct support of our volunteers, the homeowners whose trees are gleaned, and those who feel that Toronto is a better place because of what we do.

This yearbook has been prepared for you. Together, we are a grassroots and community-supported initiative and this docu-ment reflects the work that we’ve accomplished. It is with deep gratitude that we recognize your contributions to Not Far From The Tree and your support in making Toronto a vibrant city.

Christopher ChenChair, Steering CommitteeNot Far from the Tree

2013 YIELDED THE MOST IMPACT WE’VE HAD IN

TERMS OF VOLUNTEERS ENGAGED, TREES PICKED,

AND FRUIT DONATED.

Toronto is a city of neighbour-hoods, but at Not Far From The Tree we also see it as a city of neighbours.

At each fruit pick we organize, something transformative happens: a private asset becomes shared, its bounty offered up for neighbours to feed neighbours. A backyard gate is opened, and people approach a fruit-heavy tree as they would an open table – with recipes, stories, and a willingness to lend a hand. During our 2013 season, Not Far From The Tree brought together 1,587 people by organizing the harvest of fruit from 355 trees. To make this work, community members chipped in by donating resources like storage space and ladders – translating to cost savings of about $10,000. The physical act of picking the fruit is just the beginning – once the fruit is harvested, it becomes a valuable (and edible) tool for community engagement. Over 1,500 people took part in our community engagement events in 2013. From smaller events, like canning work-shops and school presentations, to larger ones, like our annual City Cider festival, our events are designed to further our work of bringing people together and building community.

Hard apple ciderwith our team pick leaders

Cherry Bombswith Ruby Watchco

Cherry beerwith Bellwoods Brewery

In 2013, we teamed up withlocal producers, restaurants and other groups to make fun and tasty concoctions. Here are a few examples of our collaborative creations:

Apple Pie in a Jarwith Christine Manning and Manning Canning

Walnut inkwith Textile Studio Co-op

Mulberry gelatowith SOMA Chocolatemaker

When it comes to food security, Toronto faces major challenges.

At least one in ten households in our city cannot regularly afford to put enough food on the table. At the same time, we’ve become increasing-ly reliant on imported food to fill our plates and stomachs. Over 50% of fresh produce consumed in Toronto comes from the United States – a third of which arrives during Ontario’s own growing season. At Not Far From The Tree, we believe that we can do more to feed our-selves and part of the solution can be found in our collective backyard. By tapping into what’s growing locally, we are improving access to healthy, nutritious, affordable food in our city.

Over a third of the 22,440 pounds of fruit that we harvested in 2013 was shared through 25 local food banks, shelters and community kitchens to help feed over 14,000 people in need.

Not Far From The Tree activates the abundance of food already produced by city trees. An estimated 1.5 million pounds of fruit growing in Toronto each year; we’ve only just skimmed the surface of the bounty that’s ripe for the picking in our urban forest.

Rather than unwanted canned food from the back of someone’s pantry, a donation of wholesome, fresh fruit says a great deal. It says that as a community we care to provide the very best food that is available. Not Far From The Tree brings people together around food, which is an important tool for build-ing strong communities.Pavan Pahal, Na-Ma-Res.

With the environmental chal-lenges we face today, it can be difficult to see how any one of us can make a difference.

We need to find creative ways to steward our environment and reduce our ecological impact. Not Far From The Tree starts by looking at what’s in our own backyards.

Not Far From The Tree connects Torontonians to nature and inspires them to adopt a more environmental-ly sustainable life. We create hands-on opportunities for environmental action and education in fun and accessible ways.

In 2013, we organized 266 fruit harvesting events in Toronto’s urban forest, directly stewarding 355 trees. More than 1,100 people took part and collectively spent thousands of hours fostering hands-on connections with trees across the city. The simple act of picking fruit reminds people of the value of trees and green space, and encourages them to become stew-ards of our urban environment.In so doing, we diverted 22,440 pounds of fruit from going to waste, made use of this existing supply of local food, and supplanted a portion of our emissions-intense global food supply. In addition, we eliminated our own transportation emissions through the use of our fleet of cargo bikes. During our 2013 season, our incredible team of pick leaders pedalled over 1,400 kilometres to transport picking equipment and to deliver fresh fruit.

APPLES

PEACHES

GINGKO

SERVICEBERRIES

WALNUTS

GRAPES

PEARS

SWEET CHERRIES

SOUR CHERRIES

CRABAPPLES

PLUMSAPRICOTS

MULBERRIES

what’s growing on

Toronto’s trees

As a charitable project, we rely on the generosity from our community to sustain our work. Here are a few ways you can help Not Far From The Tree continue its important work in Toronto.

VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME AND SKILLS ON A

FRUIT PICK, AT AN EVENT OR IN OUR OFFICE

SHARE THE FRUIT FROM YOUR TREE BY

REGISTERING IT AT NOTFARFROMTHETREE.ORG

MAKE A DONATION AT NOTFARFROMTHETREE.ORG/DONATE

financial Highlights

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*Tides Canada Initiatives Overhead Allocation (governance, HR, financial and grant management)

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17%3%

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$165.8K

$36.8K

$6.3K $1.1K

$21.0K $14.4K $17.4K

$194.0K

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STATEMENT OF OPERATIONSFor the period ending December 31, 2013

REVENUE Grants $ 165,801 Donations & Sponsorships 36,800 Other revenue 6,348 Investment Income 1,128Total Revenue $ 210,078EXPENSES TCI Overhead Allocation $ 21,008 Office Costs 14,469 Programming 17,367 Personnel Costs 194,081Total Expenses $ 246,925

Revenue over expenses $ (36,847)Opening Balance 55,493Ending Balance $ 18,646

Not Far From The Tree thanks the following donors for their generous support in 2013. Without your support, we could not pick and share Toronto’s fruit!

Thank you to donors

BUSINESSESBernardinGlobeScan

IncorporatedGreen Living

Enterprises Inc.ING DirectTD Training Grant

ProgramThe Big CarrotThe Brewer’s Plate

ORGANIZATIONSHumberside

Collegiate InstituteUnited Way of

Greater TorontoWest End Food

Co-op Kingsway-Lambton

United Church

INDIVIDUALS Abbey HugganAdil DhallaAinsley ChapmanAlexandra ShermanAmy DaleboutAmy FedrigoAndrew MacdonaldAndrew SimpsonAngela LeeAnthony PomeroyAnthony ScheinBarbara GossBarbara RahderBecky ThomasBen MaransBill BarberBill RobertsBronwyn SzaboCara SpoonerCelia HarteChelsea PetreChris ChenChristie PearsonChristopher MillerClara KwonClaudine MersereauConan MacLeanCorinne FontaineDanielle GoldfingerDavid ThomasDeborah KeeganDerek SullivanElin Marley

Emma LewzeyErin ElliottErin KangErin MacKeenFarrah Ali-KhanFereshteh HasemiGabriella KuntzGeoffrey SingerHeather Ann

KaldewayHeather JewellHeidi SopinkaHelen BreslauerJames RenihanJanet StrangewaysJay GarloughJennifer GordonJessica ThorntonJoanna FlattJohn MacleanJonah ScheinJosh WiseJoshna MaharajJulia RowanKate HoffmannKathy FischerKrista HolmesLaura CavanaghLaura ReinsboroughLeah BobetLinda DoranLisa MasiLorraine

Underell-Mason

Magdelena OMaija MalinenMalgosia HalliopMarcie BronsonMarco CoviMarg ThompsonMartha WattMaryAnn MakiMatthew MiddletonMelissa YuMichelle AllardMichelle GoldfingerMichelle LevineNancy GrievesonNatalie WoodsNeal HughesNeil PhillipsNelson EducationPeggy LucasPetar NovakovicPeter KaplerRavenna BarkerRoula PartheniouRyan WhiteSarah BernecheSarah CarrShoshana ErlichSuzanne LongTso Family TrustVal ColdenVince Reinsborough

FOUNDATIONS

The Toskan Casale Foundation

STAFF

ProjectDirectorLaura Reinsborough

InterimProjectDirector Danielle Goldfinger

CommunityEngagementSpecialist Becky Thomas

FruitPickingCoordinator Marc Michalak

EventsCoordinatorKari Pederson

CommunityAnimator*Sara Shams

Logistics&EquipmentAssistant*Keara Campos

STEERING COMMITTEE

Christopher Chen, ChairJoshna Maharaj, Vice ChairJordy GoldJodi LastmanBen MaransRavenna Nuaimy-Barker

* Funding for these positions provided by Canada Summer Jobs.

DESIGN Projektor Brand Image

PRINTING Warren’s Waterless Printing Inc.

MAILING ADDRESS

Not Far From The Tree401 Richmond Street West Suite 365Toronto ONM5V 3A8

info@notfarfromthetree.org647.774.PICK (7425)www.notfarfromthetree.org

Not Far From The Tree is a project of Tides Canada Initiatives Society, a regis-tered Canadian charity.

Charitable BN #13056 0188 RR0001