Just last summer, Neil Wong started an Instagram account called, Thank You Toronto.
With a handful of followers and about 100 hashtags, the account began as an homage to the city’s impressive and diverse scenery and a platform to showcase its homegrown photography talent. Now with 23.4K followers, over 70,000 hashtags, and an online apparel store, Neil Wong has transformed the account and its apparel into a brand that truly gives back.
For every Thank You Toronto cap, toque, or print sold, Neil will provide one homeless person with a meal.
“I realized it was “getting big” because we reached 10,000 followers around the 4th month of launching…It was at that point where I decided to launch our mission For Every Product Sold, We Feed One Person and put the community that was growing to good use.”
Since then, Neil has been setting aside a few days a week to hand out burgers, waters, and the occasional custom menu request to tons of thankful people on the streets.
“When we kickstarted with Fran’s, we had gigantic burgers with all the fixings. But we ran into a few picky people – one even asking for Popeye’s Mac N Cheese (Neil chuckles)…so we got it for them. There’s always flexibility. I want to change someone’s life, even if it’s for 10 minutes.”
And the brand is definitely reaching people on both ends of the spectrum. Take a look around and you’ll see notable figures like radio hosts, Much Music VJs, 1 million+ subscriber Vine celebrities, and music heavies like Kardinal Offishal and Hardwell rocking Neil’s brand.
But when it really hits home is when people use it simply because they’re helping.
“Since we’ve started, we’ve seen so many people tag us in their giving back campaigns…It’s amazing to think that we might have kickstarted something good that has been fading away. I’m hoping Thank You Toronto will catch the eyes of even more companies whether they work with me or they make a positive change on their own.”
And that is the direction in which Neil wants to take it – making it much bigger than burgers.
“I’m hoping to work with a few large companies so we can help even more people and do more than just feed people. Whether it’s helping finance someone’s school program, sending someone to summer camp…the possibilities are endless.”
The man is ambitious but with a job this big, there’s always room for help. Maybe you follow the Instagram feed, maybe you buy a stylish cap, or maybe you go to ThankYouToronto.com and sign up to actually help Neil hand out food.
But as you can see, it all starts with a “thank you.”
So however you want to do it, don’t forget to take some time to thank Toronto. And while you’re at it, feel free to thank Neil too.
#NOTABLE
Want more updates on the most Notable things happening so you know before your colleagues do? Get our exclusive newsletter here and follow us on Twitter for all the latest.
