• Good Food Impact volunteers prepare more than 8,000 meals each year for residents facing food insecurity in Whitchurch-Stouffville and York Region.
  • Two new ovens donated by Unionville Appliances owner Sal Malandrino will help expand cooking capacity at the Ballantrae Community Centre kitchen.
  • The nonprofit’s meals support clients of the Whitchurch Stouffville Food Bank, local churches, and housing and shelter programs run by Blue Door and North House.
  • Councillor Richard Bartley connected the organization with Malandrino after volunteers raised concerns about under-performing kitchen equipment.
  • Good Food Impact has grown from monthly meal preparation to weekly cooking sessions since relocating operations to Ballantrae.
  • Volunteers are also preparing traditional holiday meals throughout the year, including an upcoming Easter dinner.

 

Good Food Impact volunteers were finishing large batches of fried rice, meatloaf, and granola on Tuesday afternoon, part of the more than 8,000 meals they prepare each year for local residents facing food insecurity.

Unionville Appliances owner and long-time Stouffville resident Sal Malandrino is helping that effort. He recently donated two new oven units for the Ballantrae Community Centre kitchen, where Good Food Impact volunteers have been preparing meals since 2022.

Town officials joined Malandrino, his brother, and the nonprofit on Tuesday to recognize the donation and the upgraded equipment already in use. Vanessa Filosa, a kitchen coordinator with Good Food Impact, said the new ovens will improve efficiency while providing much-needed cooking capacity.

Once prepared and packaged, meals are delivered to several community distribution points. A large portion supports clients of the Whitchurch Stouffville Food Bank, while additional meals are shared through Lemonville United, EastRidge, and St. James Presbyterian churches, along with housing and shelter programs operated by Blue Door and North House.

Councillor Richard Bartley said he first learned about limitations with the kitchen’s previous equipment through conversations with Good Food Impact volunteers, including his spouse, Marti Bartley. While exploring replacement options, the Ward 5 councillor mentioned the nonprofit’s needs to Malandrino, who quickly stepped forward.

“We’ve become friends over the last few years, and I was going to personally buy a couple of refurbished ovens from him myself,” Bartley recalled. “Sal was here and saved the day.”

“When I heard what this organization does in the community, and what they needed, I knew I had to give them the stoves,” Malandrino told Bullet Point News.

Good Food Impact has steadily expanded its operations in recent years. When the initiative first began, volunteers gathered just once a month to prepare meals. Since relocating from Latcham Hall to the Ballantrae Community Centre, cooking sessions now take place every week.

“I think that really demonstrates the growing need for this in our community,” Mayor Iain Lovatt noted.

Meeting that rising demand remains a priority for the organization in 2026, Filosa explained, and the additional ovens will help volunteers continue increasing production. “We’re always looking for ways to increase our output. We know that more and more people need food support in our community, and we’re just trying to find ways to help within our capacity.”

In addition to weekly meal preparation, Good Food Impact organizes traditional holiday meals for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

“We make turkey and ham dinners with all of the trimmings,” Filosa said, noting that preparation of this year’s Easter meal, which requires additional time and coordination, is quickly approaching.

“We have around two dozen really hard working volunteers who deserve a lot of thanks,” Filosa added. “And we can’t do this without support from the community.”

More information about Good Food Impact is available on the organization’s website, where residents can also make donations to support the program.