Daily Bread Cuts Ties with Feed Scarborough Over Financial Concerns

Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank has decided to sever its relationship with Feed Scarborough, one of its largest member agencies, following the discovery of financial discrepancies. The charity reported these issues to the police, prompting the board of directors to discontinue Feed Scarborough’s membership agreement. As a result, the agency will cease receiving food deliveries and funding from Daily Bread at the end of this month.

Neil Hetherington, CEO of Daily Bread, indicated that the charity had previously suspended funding to Feed Scarborough while investigating the allegations but continued to supply food to ensure that residents in south Scarborough were not affected. “The concerns that we had were, were those funds directed towards the charitable purposes that they were intended to go to?” Hetherington stated. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that every dollar is used for its intended charitable purpose, noting that misallocated funds equate to lost meals for those in need.

Feed Scarborough has historically received significant support from Daily Bread, including approximately $620,000 in grant funding for various operations between 2021 and 2023. Daily Bread’s police report highlights several financial irregularities, including invoices totaling $18,000 for which the vendor has no record. Moreover, over $100,000 in expense claims were paid to Suman Roy, the agency’s then-board chair and now CEO, without third-party approval. The report also mentions that grant money was allegedly used to procure food from Roy’s own company, Gourmet Alchemy.

While none of these allegations have been legally validated, Hetherington expressed a profound sense of betrayal should the financial irregularities be confirmed. In a statement, Roy, who founded Feed Scarborough in 2018, denied any wrongdoing, asserting that a third-party investigation is underway and that he expects all allegations to be proven unfounded. “I adamantly deny that any Daily Bread dollars were spent with any vendors with conflict of interest,” Roy stated.

The police report indicates that Daily Bread initially approached one of Feed Scarborough’s vendors in February 2025, uncovering a significant discrepancy in financial reporting. The vendor provided only one invoice for about $220 in food from 2024, which raises questions about the legitimacy of invoices totaling over $18,000 submitted by Feed Scarborough.

When asked how this decision would affect operations, Roy stated that Feed Scarborough would maintain at least one independent food bank if the community required it. The charity currently operates four in-person food banks and one online food bank in Scarborough, along with several additional programs aimed at supporting local residents.

Clifford Gomes, chair of the Feed Scarborough board, reassured supporters that the charity’s emergency food programming will continue. He emphasized that the organization is actively addressing the accusations made by Daily Bread, which he insists remain unfounded pending investigation.

The report from Daily Bread also noted that Roy received reimbursements exceeding $111,000 for various expenses, including gift cards, food, and rent, between December 2021 and March 2023. Most of these claims were self-approved while Roy was board chair, raising further questions about oversight and accountability.

As the investigation unfolds, Feed Scarborough is committed to cooperating with police inquiries. Other food banks, such as Soso World Ministries, are prepared to step in to distribute food to local residents. Founder Garth Soso expressed disappointment over the situation, noting that it casts a shadow over food banks in general. He stated, “The good thing is that we’re positioned to be able to receive all of Feed Scarborough’s clients in all of our programs.”

The fallout from this situation continues to evolve, with potential implications for food assistance in the Scarborough area. The community is closely watching to see how these developments will impact local services and support for those in need.