Free groceries
No-cost groceries for individuals and families who need food now—not after a long application or an emergency.
Toronto, Canada · Built for everyone
Essentials are
not a privilege.
MeNORA is a Toronto-based initiative of The NORA Foundation, created to provide free groceries, laundry, essential transportation, and community support.
↓How access should work
No one should have to prove they are suffering enough.
MeNORA is being designed around direct, low-barrier support. The goal is simple: fewer forms, shorter waits, respectful service, and help before missed meals, dirty clothes, or a lack of transit become a larger crisis.
MeNORA programs
Four essentials.
Free at the point of access.
Free laundry
Access to washers, dryers, and laundry supplies so clean clothing never competes with rent, food, or transit.
Free transportation
Transit support for essential trips to school, work, medical appointments, groceries, and home.
Community centres
Welcoming spaces that connect people to practical help, trusted neighbours, and consistent local support.
A new MeNORA literacy program
Inspired by Dolly Parton’s book-gifting model
A bookshelf
of their own.
60
books by age five.
MeNORA’s proposed literacy program will mail one free, high-quality, age-appropriate book every month to enrolled children—from birth through their fifth birthday.
Each book will be addressed directly to the child and delivered to their home at no cost to the family. The goal is not a one-time giveaway. It is a growing home library and a monthly reason to get excited about reading.
01
Enroll locally
Families register an eligible child living in a participating Toronto community.
02
Receive monthly
A carefully selected book arrives in the child’s name, free of charge.
03
Grow together
The child builds a personal collection of up to 60 books before turning five.
Program concept inspired by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. MeNORA is not currently affiliated with Dolly Parton or the Dollywood Foundation.
The NORA standard
01
No-cost access
Core MeNORA services are intended to be free for the people using them.
02
Help before crisis
People should be able to seek support when money is tight—not only after losing housing, work, or stability.
03
Fewer barriers
Programs are built to reduce unnecessary paperwork, delays, and repeated demands to document hardship.
Food. Clean clothes. A way home.
Available before emergency.
Partner with MeNORA
Help fund direct
essential support.
We are seeking organizations that can contribute funding, groceries, laundry capacity, transit access, facilities, or operational expertise to help launch and grow these programs.
Discuss a partnership