The Friendly Neighbour Hotline (FNH) was launched by OpenLab on March 13, 2020 in response to the urgent needs of Toronto seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seniors are among the most vulnerable and at-risk populations, facing barriers to essential items such as groceries and medications. Even before the pandemic, food access was a significant challenge for frail seniors, and the crisis made these barriers even more acute. Inspired by the mutual aid movement, OpenLab expanded on its work with seniors to create a city-wide initiative connecting them with volunteers who could assist with essential deliveries.

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To set up FNH, the OpenLab team built a remote call centre in just 10 days, designing a structure where call centre volunteers could triage requests and coordinate deliveries with volunteers organized across Toronto’s 25 electoral wards. Volunteers were ordinary Torontonians, all vetted with government-issued ID and references, and required to complete mandatory online training before assisting seniors.

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Initially, the hotline allowed seniors living in low-income housing to request grocery assistance, but as the initiative evolved, it shifted focus to supporting seniors who rely on food banks. Working directly with local food banks, FNH identified eligible clients and matched them with volunteers for ongoing support—a need that extends beyond the pandemic.

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Since its launch, over 1,500 volunteers speaking 39 languages stepped forward, completing more than 25,000 deliveries and supporting over 12,000 seniors. Beyond food support, FNH volunteers also assisted with UHN’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, helping deliver over 500,000 vaccine doses across Toronto.

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The Friendly Neighbour Hotline demonstrates the impact of community-led support, combining thoughtful design, scalable volunteer infrastructure, and direct partnerships to meet the needs of Toronto’s most vulnerable seniors. What began as an emergency response grew into a city-wide program addressing food access and essential support for seniors who face barriers to independent living.