Meet the team
Steering Committee
We are grateful to our volunteers and clients who are a part of the steering committee that acts as a two-way communication mechanism between clients and the board in order to improve our community support and programs.
Julie lejeune | executive director
Julie started volunteering with FYFB in 2015 and took on the role as ED in February 2022. As a former Registered Dietitian and International Development professional, she is passionate about nutrition, food security and poverty alleviation. After traveling the world, she is happy to be focused here at home and doing all she can to make Toronto a better place for all its residents. "The commitment and dedication of the volunteers at FYFB is what inspires me the most. With only 2 staff we rely heavily on an amazing volunteer community. Each and everyone one of them is an inspiration."
Board of directors
Devi Arasanayagam | Chair
Devi is a co-founder of FYFB and has volunteered with FYFB since the beginning. Born in Sri Lanka and educated in the US, Devi now lives and thrives in Toronto. Devi is passionate about issues around -income and food security, refugees, immigration and social integration. She has a background in Workforce Development, Non-profit organizations and Government. Devi volunteers as “There is a need there that cannot be ignored. That’s part of the reason why we stayed open during the worst of the pandemic.
Ravi Sreedharan
I have been part of FYFB since its beginning in 1998. The volunteers at FYFB are like a family, each of us contributing to the best of our ability to support our community. Being part of a committed team and seeing the impact we make on others lives is what makes FYFB special to me.
Camille Jordaan
FYFB is so much more than a food bank. For everyone who is a part of it, including some of our city's most vulnerable members, it is a place to connect, a community, a home away from home and a lifeline -- where clients, volunteers, partners and staff alike can show up as their truest selves and know they will be met with empathy, understanding and a helping hand.
LesLie Gordon
Leslie has volunteered on the Board of Directors since 2019. Leslie volunteers as “So many people are dealing with food insecurity and even though Food Bank use was going up before the pandemic, the pandemic has accelerated the need.
May Tangthanasup
To me, FYFB is much more than a food bank. It is a safe space that allows our humanity to blossom…a place where we learn to share and care for each other…and a place where we can grow as an individual and together as a community.
Ashley Markowitz
As a FYFB volunteer, I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the caring team that supports the community by providing food programs and support for clients as well as meaningful experiences for volunteers. It's a pleasure to be part of a team that goes above and beyond to help appreciative clients and fellow volunteers. I'm happy to help any way I can!
Don MacMillan
I’ve been volunteering with the Fort York Food Bank since my retirement in January 2023. I have been incredibly impressed with the dedication and commitment of the hundreds of volunteers who make our work possible. Even in the relatively short time I have been a volunteer, I have been struck by the huge increase in community members we are now supporting - 4200 clients per week as of last month. Food insecurity should not be an issue in the city, but unfortunately, it is. I am excited to be chairing the Fundraising Committee.
Bob Gagne
Bob is a retired I.T. leader who had roles in a number of industries over a 35 year career. He has been volunteering at FYFB since 2021 and joined the board in 2022. "Food insecurity is a difficult and sadly growing problem in our society. FYFB, with its amazing volunteers and donors, is helping people in need overcome this challenge, get on track and reconnect with community. I'm proud to be part of that work."