Mosque to offer free hot meals

A Mississauga mosque is out to prove that there is such a thing as a free lunch — and dinner, too.

Heeding the Qur’an’s instruction to help the needy, Jamia Riyadhul Jannah mosque will begin offering free meals tomorrow, seven days a week from noon to 7 p.m.
The Sunni/Sufi mosque, located in an industrial park near Creditview and Argentia Rds., is the first North American mosque to provide hot meals to all people regardless of their faith, organizers claim. The halal menu will vary daily, with the entrees ranging from burgers to pasta and other items.
“We follow a Sufi tradition. And if you look at the tradition of the Sufis, they have been quite strong on helping people, including feeding the poor and needy. This falls exactly in that tradition,” said Imam Syed Soharwardy.
Community outreach was a founding principle of the mosque when it opened last August, Soharwardy said. Future plans include providing temporary shelter for recent immigrants.
“We don’t want it to just be a traditional place of worship,” he said. “That is one aspect. But we also want to make it a community centre and a place for interfaith dialogue. It is not just a place for Sufi Muslims. It is a place for all Canadians.
The mosque has been putting the word out through flyers that have been distributed to food banks and other community services.
Board member Imran Inamdar concedes he doesn’t know how long it will take for the concept to catch on. He points to the success of Knights Table, a program founded by the Catholic Knights of Columbus that has operated for 20 years in neighbouring Brampton and provides 150 meals daily to people, regardless of their religious background.
“It will take about a month for people to get to know about this,” Inamdar said.
Initially, the food will be brought in, kept warm on site and served in a small 18-square-metre dining room. But the mosque is equipped with a kitchen and additional dining space, leaving room for expansion.

Torstar Network |Sep 29, 2011 – 7:14 AM

Visit the clinic and meet with a qualified dental hygienist and dental educator to:

• Receive a free dental screening and dental care kit
• Determine if your child is eligible for free dental services
• Learn how to keep teeth clean, and prevent cavities and gum disease

Where: John Howard Society, 130 Dundas St W, Unit 300

To register, please call 905.275.9117

Clinic Hours (October 4-28)

For more information, contact Peel Public Health at 905.799.7700, or visit www.peelregion.ca/dental.

NOTICE OF MEETING
2011 Annual General Meeting of Members
Tuesday, November 15, 2010
7:00-9:00pm
Location: Girl Guides Ontario – Guide House
1563 Dundas Street West, Mississauga ON  L5C 1E3 (East of Mississauga Road, North side of Dundas)
Upper Level Room

All members of the corporation, as well as those interested in the work of The Mississauga Food Bank are invited to join us as we celebrate the successes of the past year. Light refreshments will be served.

As per our corporate By-Laws, the Annual General Meeting of the Members shall be held each year at a time, place in the Province of Ontario and date determined by the Board, no later than the month of November, for the purpose of:
(a)          hearing and receiving the reports and statements required by the Act and the By-laws to be placed before the Members at an annual meeting;
(b)          electing directors;
(c)          appointing auditors and fixing or authorizing the Board to fix their remuneration; and
(d)          transacting any other business properly brought before the meeting.

If you plan on joining us, please RSVP to info@themississaugafoodbank.org or 905.270.5589 x221.

This year, The Mississauga Food Bank is kicking off our fall drive with a weekend-long family-friendly festival!

You and your family are invited to join us Friday, September 30^th to Sunday, October 2^nd for the Harvest for the Hungry Festival! The weekend will be jam packed with activities, all in support of The Mississauga Food Bank.

Harvester Sponsor

What can you do at the festival?

• Take a spin on the rides for kids and adults
• Enjoy FREE children’s performances and activities
• For kids under-48″ tall, enjoy the Inflatable Village!
• Have a bite to eat at our fundraiser Lunch (Wrap sandwiches provided by May Family Farms, drinks provided by Whole Foods Market Square One)
• Enter a free draw to win 1 of 2 iPads (2nd generation)
• Learn more about The Mississauga Food Bank and hunger in Mississauga

FESTIVAL DETAILS:

Date and Time:
Friday, September 30^th, 2011- 4:00pm – 11:00pm
Saturday, October 1^st, 2011 – 11:00am – 11:00pm
Sunday, October 2^nd, 2011 – 12:00pm – 6:00pm

Location: Canadian Coptic Centre (1245 Eglinton Ave W @ Creditview)

Schedule of Events:(Information will be updated as it becomes available)

Information about Children’s Performers

Cost:

• Children’s Activities and Performances are FREE
• Rides are $2.50 per ride or get a ride-all-day pass for $20!
• Inflatable Village for kids under 48″ costs $8.00 for a Bounce-all-day pass.
• Fundraiser Lunch ($5 for a wrap sandwich, drink and a sweet treat!) Thanks to Whole Foods Market Square One for providing the drinks!
• Food vendors – prices as marked
• Midway games – prices as marked
• Draw for iPad – FREE

The Mississauga Food Bank is currently hiring for the following positions:

• Warehouse Assistant (contract)
  

Please click on the link to open a PDF of the job description. Adobe PDF software can be downloaded here.

Veronica and Chris pose for a photo

A big congratulations to our 2011 Volunteer of the Year – Veronica Miranda!

Veronica has been volunteering with The Mississauga Food Bank for a number of years, primarily sorting food on Wednesday evenings. (This is, of course, right after her regular work day!) In addition to helping with this critical function, she also lends a hand at special events like our gala, benefit concert and Ribfest community event.

Over the past year, we have also watched Veronica take a leadership role with the various youth groups that volunteer with us on Wednesday nights. Almost all of these groups are new volunteers who are seeing our operation for the first time, so they (and we!) truly appreciate her gentle guidance.

We are thrilled to honour Veronica with this year’s Volunteer of the Year award.

For more information on volunteering, please visit the Volunteer section of our website.

You’re invited to an Applebee’s Flapjack Fundraiser breakfast to support Breakfast with Santa Foundation.

Tickets are $10. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Foundation.

When: September 18 8-10am

Where: Applebee’s Neighbourhood Grill & Bar (5700 Mavis Rd, Mississauga L5V 2N6)

Purchase your tickets today – bring your family, friends, neighbours and co-workers!

Enjoy a delicious breakfast and help provide a meal and holiday experience for a child in need this Christmas.

416.702.5104 or b.w.s.unique@sympatico.ca for more information

www.breakfastwithsantainfo.ca

Some of our parade participants in years gone by

Watch for The Mississauga Food Bank in the Mississauga Santa Claus Parade that takes place in Streetsville.

We’ll be spreading the word that “All we want for Christmas is to feed our neighbours!”

For all the parade details, go to the Village of Streetsville website.

In 2009, ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas was a concept developed in a coffee shop, based on the question, “What can we do to fight hunger and feed hope in Mississauga?” A few phone calls to some supportive members of the community were the start of a 6-week venture that snowballed into a Port-Credit wide campaign. It was the response from the community that fuelled the idea, and grew it into an event that in 2010 raised over $35,000 and provided over 3,000 lbs of food and 750 turkeys to Mississauga families living in poverty.

All of these efforts are in support of The Mississauga Food Bank – the largest food distribution program in Mississauga, Ontario supporting over 38,000 clients each month through 108 member programs, including the city’s seven full-service food banks. The Mississauga Food Bank sources, warehouses, and distributes 2.4 million pounds of food valued at over $6 million per year to feed the 17% of Mississauga’s population who live in poverty.

THIS YEAR: John Fraser author of The Reluctant Gigolo, actor and humorist will be our MC for the dinner. International Singing Star Matt Dusk will be singing the National Anthem.

Tables of 10 only $250. Call now 905-278-7742 to reserve a table.