.png)
About Us
Hand Up Toronto is on a mission to end food insecurity in our city. Through our service delivery, we work to remove barriers to accessing nutritious food and essential supplies. Run entirely by dedicated volunteers, we are driven by a shared commitment to creating lasting change. Food insecurity is a systemic issue, and we use our voice and actions to advocate for families and challenge policies that keep people in poverty.
By working together — volunteers and community members alike — we can put an end to food insecurity.
Our Mission
Our mission is to extend a “hand up” to our community by delivering nutritious food, resources, and basic necessities with the support of our team of volunteers.
Our Values
Collaboration: We believe in working both together and with our community to provide the support that our families need.
Equitable Access to Food: We believe that no one deserves to live with food insecurity and that we will work to dismantle barriers to food and nutrition
Adaptability: We believe that the reasons families may be food insecure change over time and that to best support families we are committed to adapting and evolving to meet the needs of our community.
Operational Efficiency: We are committed to ensuring our organization is efficient, lean and agile to best meet the needs of our community
Meet Our Team
Executive Team
Kelly Joseph
Co-Director of Operations
Kirk Osborne
Co-Director of Operations
_edited.jpg)
Kevin Xu
Director of Marketing
Bob Bourque
Corporate Relations Lead
The team that makes it all possible.
Operations Team
General Ops
Jaymie Varenbut
Data Operations
Jean Sebastien (J.S.) Dumais
Curtis Arthur
Kota Abe
​
Family Communications Team
Ariam Teklemariam
Mary de Guzman​​
Fundraising Team
Connor Prosty
Marie Fazio
​Marketing Team
Gillian Campbell
Han King
Juliana Morgan
Louis Sun-Lelasseux
Sharon Koshy
​
​Volunteer Communications & Outreach
Idil Sheikh
Greg Gapski
Truman Leung
Cristina Campolieto
Site and Dispatch Team
Daren Delaney
Sakshi Kumar
Michael Ryan
Sarah Rudge
​
​Corporate Relations Team
Vivian Tang
Juliana Montoya Vanegas
Matthew Cornett
Finance Team
Efe Ighrakpata
Board of Directors
Chair
Nino Amatangelo
Member Since 2025
-
​Experienced Financial Executive
-
​BBA from Schulich School of Business - York University
Focus at HUT | Strategy, Operations, and Growth
Board Member
Madeline Kingston
Member Since 2026
-
Experienced non-profit professional
-
BSW from TMU
Graduate Diploma, Social Responsibility and Sustainability, U of T
Focus at HUT | Volunteer Engagement, Corporate Partnerships
Board Member
Paul Webber
Member Since 2026
-
Principal Consultant at Oak House Benefits
-
Bachelors of Arts, McMaster University, Political Science and Geography
Focus at HUT | Governance, Strategic Partnerships & Growth
Board Member
Sam Galanis
Member since 2026
Experienced Tech, Advertising & Commerce Professional
​
Focus at HUT | Revenue & Partnerships
Board Member, Legal
Lauren Crosby
Member Since 2021
-
Partner at Torkin Manes – specializing in Not-for Profit and Charities Law
-
Bachelors of Education from Queen’s University & Doctor of Law (JD) from University of Western Ontario
​
Focus at HUT | Governance and Strategic Partnerships​
Board Member, Marketing
Holly Clarke
Member Since 2022
-
Canada GTM Lead, Global Ad Solutions at OpenAI
-
Bachelors of Arts, Environmental Studies and Geography
Focus at HUT | Marketing and Community Engagement​
Board Member, Secretary / Operations
William Oestreich
Member Since 2020
-
Former Co-Executive Director and Director of Ops.
-
Engineer at H.H. Angus
-
​Bachelors of Engineering
Focus at HUT | Operations
Join Our Team!
We are always looking enthusiastic volunteers who want to join our Hand Up Family. If you have skills you want to share to help make an positive impact, we want to meet you!
​
Tell us what you'd be interested in doing by emailing us at resume@handuptoronto.org.
Interested in Joining Our Board?
Use your leadership prowess towards alleviating food insecurity.
Email your resume and cover letter to nominating@handuptoronto.org.