MEET OUR TEAM!
Staff Team
Executive Director
Kitty
Raman Costa
With over 8 years of dedicated experience in non-profit leadership, Kitty is committed to supporting her community. Grateful for the opportunity to be deeply engaged in food justice, security, and sovereignty, she holds firm in the principled belief that food is a fundamental human right.
Outside of the Parkdale Community Food Bank, you will find Kitty pursuing many hobbies including textile arts, cooking and caring for her plants and two senior pets!
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Favourite Spot in Parkdale: Parkdale Library and Studio Brillantine
Go-to recipe: Pea & Salmon Fishcakes (can sub canned tuna!)
Senior Manager, Programs & Services
Celestina Bogle
Celestina's deep-rooted passion for community work has shaped an impactful career spanning grassroots collectives, non-profits, and charities for over eight years. Now, at PCFB, they're excited to contribute to a thriving community making food more accessible.
With a foundation in Philosophy, Gender Studies, and Sexuality studies, Celestina approaches their work with a thoughtful and informed perspective. During their downtime, you'll often find Celestina chronically online over-analyzing media, showering Honey (their puppy) with love and nurturing their artistic pursuits
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Favourite spot in Parkdale: Paint Cabin Create! Drink! Repeat!
Go-to recipe: Thai Green Curry
Operations Manager
Shimona patel
Shimona has always been involved with food in various capacities, with a background in pastry arts and nutrition. Having grown up on a farm
in rural India, she has a passion for community and food systems. In the future, she hopes to study food security policy and develop
programming for marginalised communities, especially in South Asian countries.
When she isn't at work, you can find her in one of the many parks, baking desserts or biking around town!
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Favourite spot in Parkdale: Larry's
Go-to recipe: Kadhi Chawal
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Volunteer Program Manager
Clare rutledge
Clare joined the team in February 2023 as one of our Delivery Coordinators and moved into her current role in July 2023. Clare is the main line of support for volunteers, and is responsible for recruiting, training, mentoring and empowering our active volunteers.
After 20 years in the Hospitality Industry, she decided to go back to school as a mature student, and graduated last year as a Social Service Worker.
Some of her hobbies are hiking, camping and event planning.
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Favorite spot in Parkdale: The Mezz
Go-to recipe: Curried Butternut Squash Soup
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Delivery Program Manager
kelly slover
Kelly began volunteering with the PCFB in the fall of 2021 as a way to get involved in her new community. Supported by a background in public health, she joined the delivery team a year later in 2022.
Kelly loves being able to focus on meeting each client's individual needs and working towards acquiring diet-specific inventory. You may also catch her out on a walk or driving around Parkdale doing deliveries herself whenever she can!
Outside of work, she can usually be found playing at the local curling club or at home trying new vegan recipes.
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Favourite spot in Parkdale: Peaches or Larry's
Go-to recipe: Tofu Scramble
Finance & Communications Manager
Iris brown
Iris joined our team in January 2023. Iris works on a variety of projects, including event planning, merchandise design, and donor support. She also manages our social media channels.
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With her background in sociology and history, Iris has a deep understanding of the long-term impacts of food insecurity on communities.
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When Iris isn't working, she enjoys knitting, baking, or playing video games. She also loves to explore the city and try out new restaurants.
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Favourite spot in Parkdale: Robinson Bread
Go-to recipe: Lentil Minestrone Soup
Food Bank Assistant
Jeremy Duffy
Jeremy began volunteering with the PCFB in March of 2021. He has been an active member of the Parkdale community for the past 5 years and has a strong passion for community engagement and food sovereignty. He officially joined the team in July 2023 to assist with the delivery program, but now can be found bouncing back and forth between that program and our main Dunn location to help in various day to day operations. He enjoys building rapport with clients and community members alike and strives to ensure the food bank is accessible and approachable for all.
He can be seen around the neighbourhood trying new restaurants, playing pickup basketball, or performing in local concert venues.
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Favourite spot in Parkdale: tie between Larry’s folly and Daol Korean restaurant
Go-to recipe: Bologna Bowl
Board of Directors
Chair
Laurie drake
Laurie is a recognized business leader and entrepreneur, who was nominated
for RBC’s Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award (2023). In addition to running two
successful businesses, Laurie coaches mission driven organizations to succeed without having to compromise on their values.
Favourite spot in Parkdale: Common Sort
Go-to recipe: BLT Pasta Salad
Vice Chair
Alexandra cote
Alex has been serving on the Board since 2018. As a Parkdale resident and local Realtor, she has a deep appreciation and connection to the community and its residents. Her business, The Fox Team, has donated over $30,000 from the sale of homes in the community back to the food bank.
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Favourite spot in Parkdale: Mother India Roti (don't sleep on the saag paneer and samosa chaat!) and I love running and walking our dog along the Lakeshore waterfront trail
Go-to recipe: Coconut Quinoa Curry Recipe
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Treasurer
catherine nicholls
Catherine is a Chartered Professional Accountant and hopes to use her experience with financial reporting and compliance to help with board reporting.
Board Member
Gurbeen bhasin
Gurbeen Bhasin is the founder and executive director of Aangen, a Toronto-based non-profit organization that focuses on advancing food security and social justice locally and globally. She is best known for her mile-wide smile, her funky shoes and her mom’s timeless life wisdom.
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Favourite spot in Parkdale: OM Restaurant
Go-to recipe: African Peanut Stew
Board Member
avi cheema
Avineet Cheema is a Toronto-based immigration and refugee lawyer. She specifically represents immigration detainees through her employment with the Refugee Law Office - Legal Aid Ontario.
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Favourite spot in Parkdale: Parkdale Hall
Go-to recipe: Newfoundland Fish Cakes
Board Member
miles kenyon
Miles is an award-winning strategic communications professional with experience in non-profits, universities and newsrooms. Prior to joining the board, he was a frontline volunteer at PCFB.
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Favourite spot in Parkdale: Momo House
Go-to recipe: Coconut chickpea curry
Board Member
Jagtaran singh
Jagtaran is legal counsel at the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC), where his work focuses heavily on strategic public interest litigation and inquiries.
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Favourite spot in Parkdale: Loga's Corner
Go-to recipe: Easy Mango Lassi
Board Member
Jane laughton
Jane has been serving on the Board since 2022. Although she recently moved out of the neighbourhood, Jane was a long-time resident of Parkdale and continues to have a strong tie to the community. Jane specializes in Human Resources and is deeply appreciative of the opportunity to lend her expertise to the benefit of the Food Bank.
Favourite spot in Parkdale: the Milky Way
Go-to Recipe: Cheesy Potatoes
Board Member
Liza kobrinsky
Liza has been with the Board since March 2023 and has been supporting financial forecasting and strategic planning. She has an economics and public policy background and has been working in policy for over 10 years.
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Favourite spot in Parkdale: any spot where she can enjoy the murals and street art of Parkdale
Go-to Recipe: Lobio
Board Member
Sherri hasmatali
Sherri grew up in Parkdale, attended both Parkdale Public and Parkdale Collegiate. She was a volunteer for many years at another food bank and soup kitchen and was thrilled when she had the opportunity to join the Board. She thoroughly enjoyed getting the new Dunn location up and running and looks forward to continuing to support the food bank in all of its endeavours.
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Favourite spot in Parkdale: Ali's Roti Shop or Simpl Things
Go-to Recipe: 3 Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies
Board Member
matthew myers
Matthew is an award-winning brand, communication, and digital strategy expert with over 30 years of experience helping leading charities further their missions. Co-Founder of A.K.A. New Media Inc., Matthew currently provides digital strategic consultation and volunteers at the PCFB. He and his wife are raising their 4 kids in the Parkdale community.
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Favourite spot in Parkdale: Sunnyside Provisions (and their give back program)
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