A place for food and connection

Sumac Community Food Centre is a welcoming space in Toronto’s Downtown East where people come together around food.

We offer programs that connect neighbours, build skills, and create dignified access to good food. From shared meals to cooking and gardening programs, everything we do is rooted in the belief that food is a human right.

At Sumac, food is more than something we eat. It’s how we build community, strengthen relationships, and create space for people to feel seen and valued.

Group of staff members standing together outside Sumac Community Food Centre
Volunteers and staff preparing and plating meals in the Sumac kitchen

The communities we serve

In a city as abundant as Toronto, no one should struggle to access nourishing, culturally meaningful food.

Yet many people in Regent Park, Moss Park, and St. James Town face rising costs, food insecurity, and social isolation.

Sumac Community Food Centre responds by creating a space where:

  • Good food is shared with dignity
  • Skills and knowledge are exchanged, not delivered
  • People are invited to lead and shape the work
  • Immediate needs are met while long-term belonging and leadership grow

Our space

Sumac Community Food Centre is located at 340 Gerrard St. East, in a beautifully renovated historic building in the heart of Regent Park, Moss Park, and St. James Town.

Our kitchen and program spaces are shaped by and for the people who live nearby. Neighbours gather here to cook, share meals, build skills, and lead together.

At 340 Gerrard, community connection and national change grow side by side.

Exterior of Sumac Community Food Centre in Toronto, with courtyard seating, garden beds, and the Right To Food sign on the building.
Group of Food Summit participants holding a Right To Food banner together

Part of a national movement

Sumac Community Food Centre is an initiative of Right To Food, a national organization working alongside community food organizations across Canada.

Together, we are building a future where the right to food is realized for all.

Sumac is co-located with Right To Food’s national office at 340 Gerrard St. East, and serves as both a local community hub and a living example of what’s possible when food spaces are rooted in dignity and community power.

Our values in action

At Sumac Community Food Centre, we are guided by:

  • Dignity — Everyone deserves to be welcomed with respect.
  • Equity — We work to reduce barriers and centre community leadership.
  • Community — We grow stronger together.
  • Courage — We believe change is possible, and we act on it.
Hands preparing fresh spinach together in the Sumac kitchen

What we offer

Food skills

Community kitchens and gardening programs where neighbours connect, share skills, and learn together.

Food access

Community meals offering fresh, seasonal food served with dignity and rooted in local cultural traditions.

Education & Engagement

Volunteer opportunities, one-on-one support, and advocacy training that build leadership and community action.

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