We are requesting funding to renovate an existing kitchen at Milliken Park into a fully equipped commercial kitchen. These essential renovations will include the installation of commercial-grade kitchen appliances, dishwasher, shelving, work tables, cookware and workstations, a walk-in refrigerator, freezer and some storage units. This renovation will help SACHAYS to expand our capacity to serve the Scarborough community, offering our ‘TRUPTI” FREE HOT nutritious meals, hands-on food skills training, and a space for social connection and support for Seniors, youth & families.
The renovated kitchen which will be located in the midst of a park, will become a central hub for SACHAYS’s programs, empowering individuals to gain the skills needed for healthy food preparation, alleviating food insecurity, and fostering a sense of community. Our program will provide our meals prepared by volunteers (youth & Seniors) through our intergenerational programs, for vulnerable populations, including low-income households, homeless and street-involved individuals, seniors, youth, and children, while also expanding our current food skills programs. Once completed, this kitchen will be a dynamic, welcoming space where people can get a healthy meal, socialize, learn, grow and find some support to get ahead in life.
SACHAYS was awarded the ‘Toronto Community Champion 2025’ Award by City of Toronto for its culturally specific FREE HOT meals program. This renovation will enhance our meal program and directly address critical community needs, particularly for those facing economic and social challenges. Our kitchen will be a vital resource for:
-Refugees / new immigrants: Many refugees and new immigrant families struggle to afford and prepare healthy meals due to price rise and food insecurity, and this renovated kitchen will provide them with the resources and skills to get culturally specific food.
- Seniors and Youth: These groups often face specific challenges in accessing or preparing healthy food, and the kitchen will help bridge the gap. Furthermore, the kitchen and the surrounding area will be used to support other SACHAYS programs, including animating the park, by providing outdoor & Indoor free space to Yoga, Zumba, Tai Chi groups, performers (music & dance), further promoting community engagement and support.
support
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Sachays really cares for the social and health needs of seniors. I have been doing online yoga and meditation classes organized by Sachays since 2021.
I hope this cafe will provide experiences beyond food, such as live music, art workshops, or seasonal festivities. These activities transform a regular outing into a memorable family event, giving children and adults alike something to look forward to. From weekend storytelling sessions, these special touches will make this park Cafe visits feel engaging. Families like ours will appreciate that this cafe offers moments that go beyond food, fostering traditions and memories that last forever.
This is a deserving cause. An old kitchen will be renovated and Sachays will be able to serve so many deserving people. So LEAF, what are you waiting for?
Sachays concentrates in focusing and encouraging better health, knowing that otherwise it will be difficult for especially those with mental illnesses to navigate through life.
A Cafe in a Park can help with depression by combining the benefits of exposure to nature, reducing stress and it helps create a cordial social connection. The calm environment can also help fight isolation. Therefore Parks are great for mental health.
Families often search for more than just a place to eat—they want a welcoming environment like a park where everyone, from toddlers to grandparents, feels at home. We hope this cafe will become a favourite choice for many because of their unique offering of combination & comfort, community, and quality that larger chains often struggle to provide. This cafe will foster connection, encourage conversation, and create memories that go beyond the food on the table.
Sachays promotes mental health, depression, and physical well being by counseling, for those in crises, and for those at the risk of suicide. Sachays gives guidance and direction and also helps those at the risk of suicide, reach a goal and contribute to a world beyond oneself.
This cafe will help them to cope with their issues and improve lives to have a purposeful goal in life through community gatherings at this cafe location and in natural setting of a park.