On a typical shift at Harvest Project, Allie might answer calls from people seeking food support, sort clothing donations, greet clients arriving for appointments, or help stock groceries for local families.
She is often one of the first faces people see when they walk through the door.
For nearly eight years, she has been part of the North Shore organization’s volunteer team, helping residents navigate difficult periods in their lives while witnessing firsthand the power of community support.
“When you’re struggling, there’s a lot of shame associated with it,” Allie said. “We have been privileged and utilized the resources available in the community, and now I decided it’s time to give back.”
Harvest Project is a North Shore-based nonprofit that supports residents from Deep Cove to Lions Bay who are experiencing challenges such as financial hardship, job loss, family trauma and housing instability. Through individualized client support, food assistance, clothing programs, and volunteer services, the organization helps families regain stability and move forward.
For Allie, volunteering began when she was looking for a way to spend time outside the home while raising young children.
“When my kids were really little, I wanted to get out of the house,” she said. After reading about Harvest Project in a local newspaper, she began volunteering. Years later, when her son was 16, he also expressed interest in volunteering.
“I took him to Harvest, and we started going on Saturdays,” she said. “We loved it.” That Saturday commitment has continued ever since.
Today, Allie’s responsibilities span multiple areas of the organization. She works reception shifts, assists with client appointments, and supports the programme with miscellaneous needs. She also fields calls from people seeking assistance or looking to donate food, clothing and financial contributions.
Her role provides a unique window into the needs of the community and the variety of support Harvest Project offers.
The organization’s services extend beyond emergency assistance. According to Kevin J. Lee, Chief Development Officer at Harvest Project, the nonprofit takes a long-term approach focused on helping households regain stability.
“We sit with the client,” Lee said, describing the organization’s one-on-one support model. “It takes time to work through [challenges] for any individual to find their way forward.”
Rather than offering a single service, Harvest Project works alongside clients over months, and sometimes longer, as they address the underlying circumstances affecting their households.
According to Lee, the organization currently supports approximately 400 to 500 North Shore residents and offers a range of programs designed to keep families functioning during difficult periods.
These include rental support, interest-free loans for rental deposits, food assistance, clothing resources and specialized services such as art therapy and financial coaching.
Food security is a key component at Harvest Project
A key component of that work is food security. Lee says Harvest Project provided approximately $1 million worth of groceries to local families over the past year, with some households receiving up to $1,200 worth of groceries each month. The organization also operates a clothing program that allows clients to access new and gently used clothing in a dignified shopping environment.
Supporting these programs is a large network of volunteers.
Harvest Project receives volunteer inquiries almost daily and currently relies on approximately 140 weekly volunteers, many of whom contribute about four hours of service each week. In addition, corporate groups, school teams and individuals with specialized expertise donate their time to support the organization’s operations.
Those volunteers perform a wide range of duties. Some help manage donations and client information, while others drive delivery vans, provide financial coaching or offer professional services such as art therapy. Board members also contribute expertise in areas including social work and finance.
For Allie, one of the most rewarding aspects of volunteering has been witnessing the generosity that exists within the community.
She recalls a memorable encounter from a community picnic organized by Harvest Project last year.
“I was on reception,” she said. “A man came in, said ‘thanks for the picnic’ and wrote a cheque for $5,000.”
But it is often the smaller moments that stay with her most.
Several years ago, a young man came to Harvest Project looking for a suit to wear to a job interview. Volunteers helped him search through the thrift store inventory.
“We accidentally found a Hugo Boss suit that fit him,” Allie recalled. “He used that for his interview and got the job.”
Stories like that illustrate the organization’s broader philosophy: providing support that helps people move toward long-term stability rather than simply addressing an immediate need.
Lee said the organization is uniquely focused on serving North Shore residents and tailoring support to the realities facing local families. The challenges clients experience can vary widely, from sudden job loss to family crises that threaten housing security and financial stability.
Meeting those needs requires strong partnerships throughout the community. Harvest Project relies on support from households, businesses, donors and volunteers who contribute time, expertise and resources. Community members can donate online or apply to volunteer through the organization’s website, where staff help match volunteers with appropriate opportunities.
For Allie, volunteering has reinforced an important lesson about empathy and perspective.
“What I learned is that always assume that every single person has it worse than you,” she said.
It is a lesson she carries into every interaction, whether she is greeting someone at reception, helping sort donations or assisting a family accessing support.
Despite nearly eight years of service, she is quick to emphasize that Harvest Project’s impact is the result of collective effort.
“I’m proud to be a part of the piece,” she said. “It’s a village.”
That village – made up of volunteers, staff, donors and community members – continues to help hundreds of North Shore residents each year navigate difficult circumstances and build a path forward.
For people like Allie, the reward is not just in the hours volunteered but in the lives changed along the way.
