We’d like to share a new fundraising activity at The Mississauga Food Bank that you could join in with very easily and won’t cost you a thing!

There is a new and profitable way to make money that benefits the environment as well – The Mississauga Food Bank is tackling the growing problem of electronic waste and literally turning it into cash.

The Mississauga Food Bank is participating in the Think Recycle program, which gathers old print cartridges, cameras and cell phones in the community and exchanges them for money. Greentec, the company behind Think Recycle, then collects, processes and recycles the electronics, diverting the electronic waste from local landfill sites.

Over 300 million empty printer cartridges are generated in North America every year, or 900,000,000 pounds of waste that can potentially end up in a landfill. The Think Recycle program has been responsible for the diversion of more than one million cartridges from landfills and has provided nearly $3 million in funding to its participants. More than 20,000 schools in North America participate in the Think Recycle program.

In addition to giving money for these used electronics, Greentec also donates one tree to Tree Canada for every 24 qualifying cell phones or cartridges that The Mississauga Food Bank returns. The Think Recycle program has paid for the planting of more than 50,000 trees, effectively removing 8,700 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere.

So how can you help?

1.       You can drop off old cell phones, digital cameras or laser and ink jet printer cartridges at The Mississauga Food Bank (36-2550 Goldenridge Road) during office hours.

2.       Your office or school can set up their own account with Think Recycle, collect your used cell phones, digital cameras or printer cartridges, and have the funds designated to The Mississauga Food Bank. Think Recycle will even provide you with a donation box and promotional materials! All the information is available at www.thinkrecycle.com.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at 905.270.5589 or info@themississaugafoodbank.org.

Share your story for a chance to win a $100 Loblaws gift card!

Your story is a powerful tool in the fight against hunger and its root causes.

Sharing the experiences of real people helps make difficult and often complex social issues easier to understand. We may choose your story to be featured on our website or marketing materials to better illustrate the struggles residents of Mississauga face in securing enough food.

If you’re not sure what to write about, you could tell us a story about your experience with any of the following issues:

• Going to a food bank for the first time
• Losing your job in this tough economy
• Having trouble making ends meet
• Working for wages that don’t support your family
• Difficulty with medical bills
• Difficulty affording rent
• Being homeless
• Difficulty accessing food or services where you live
• Living with a disability and waiting for ODSP benefits

Submit your story to meghan@themississaugafoodbank.org with the subject line “My Story”. Entries received on or before July 31 will be entered for a chance to win. A representative of The Mississauga Food Bank will contact the winner by email after July 31.

The fine print: By submitting my story, I hereby consent that I am 18 years of age or older and that The Mississauga Food Bank and its representatives and agencies may use my story to promote the Food Bank in its efforts to feed the hungry.  I understand that my story may be used in some promotional materials in a way that does not accurately reflect my lifestyle or me and that my name will not be used in any situation where my likeness is not used to reflect my actual circumstances.  I agree that all originals and reproductions of any likeness produced by and/or for The Mississauga Food Bank will remain property of the Food Bank.  I irrevocably hold The Mississauga Food Bank and its agencies and representatives harmless from any and all claims, liabilities, damages and expenses associated with authorized use of the above materials.  I understand that my representatives or I cannot revoke this release.

2010 GALA WAS A GREAT SUCCESS!
We are pleased to announce that our 2010 Gala raised $83,560, which allows us to distribute $830,000 of food into the community! This is a great indication of the support we receive from our community. It was an exciting “Night in the Tropics” for 310 guests featuring Caribbean-inspired flavours, music, decor and dance!

We have begun planning and are looking ahead to our 2011 Gala to mark the milestone of our 25th anniversary. Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 14th, 2011 and plan to celebrate with us!

PROVIDE A FAMILY WITH FOOD AND HOPE
For every $1 you donate to The Mississauga Food Bank, $10 of food is collected, cleaned, sorted and distributed to your hungry neighbours here in Mississauga. You can make a difference in your community by feeding those in our community who live in poverty. Your gift today of just $20 will feed a family of four for 10 full days! That means $40 feeds them for two months, and $60 feeds them for three. Corporate donations and generous contributions from many different people help keep our costs extremely low.

Please click here to make your online donation and receive a tax receipt by email immediately.

You can also give online by clicking the ‘Donate Now’ button on the front page of www.themississaugafoodbank.org.

EXPANDING THE MISSISSUAGA FOOD BANK NETWORK
Fulfilling one of our strategic priorities, The Mississauga Food Bank network has expanded this year with the establishment of four new member food banks to better serve our clients. They include: Eden Community Food Bank-Unity Drive, Compass Market Food Bank, St. Mary’s Food Bank-Dundas, and Seva Food Bank.

As a result, the day-to-day activities of The Mississauga Food Bank will be changing during the upcoming spring and summer months. After 24 years of providing food directly to clients at our Goldenridge food bank location, we have begun transitioning each of our clients to one these new local food banks where they will benefit from increased advocacy services, closer proximity to their home, and shorter wait times. What has not changed is that clients will continue to receive a nutritious and balanced 7-10 day supply of food.

Additionally, this transition will allow The Mississauga Food Bank to better focus on the sourcing, managing, and distribution of food to the growing number of hungry in Mississauga. Over the past several years, we have expanded our ability to source and distribute donated food from corporations as well as from the community at large. This expanded capability has allowed us to better support our partnered food bank/food program network with the food they need to best serve their clients.

This is an exciting transformation for The Mississauga Food Bank. If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact Chris Hatch, Executive Director, at: chris@themississaugafoodbank.org or 905.270.5589 x223.

SPRING FOOD DRIVES

We are pleased to announce the results from our recent food drives!

Spring H.O.P.E. Food Drive Thanks to the Greater Toronto Apartment Association and each of the 86 participating apartment buildings across Mississauga, 17,294 lbs of food were raised for those who are hungry in Mississauga! Thanks to everyone who participated for your support – it’s fantastic that we were able to raise 41% more food than we did in 2009!
The Mississauga Food Bank Spring Food Drive After extending the food drive an extra week, we are pleased with the support received from the Mississauga community. Thank you to everyone who donated food and enabled us to reach a total of 50,652 lbs!

We welcome food drives any time of the year! If you would like to organize one on our behalf, please visit www.mississaugafooddrive.org for helpful suggestions, tools, and more information.

MEMBER AGENCY SPOTLIGHT
THE COMPASS MARKET FOOD BANK

In each edition of our newsletter, we will feature one of our member agencies. So watch this column each quarter to learn more about the food banks and other food programs who serve clients across Mississauga.
Realizing the urgent need of those experiencing severe economic and social challenge, ten churches in the Lorne Park/Clarkson area formed The Compass to address social concerns within the community.
The Compass offers a variety of programs, including The Compass Market Food Bank, which starting May 3rd, will be a part of The Mississauga Food Bank Network exclusively serving clients in the L5G, L5H and L5J postal code areas. Clients living in those postal code areas will now be able to receive their 7-10 day supply of food each month from a location much closer to home, saving them time and transportation costs. The Compass also offers ESL classes, a women’s group, employment assistance, computer training and other programs!
On Tuesday, May 11th, the first delivery of food from The Mississauga Food Bank was dropped off at The Compass. On hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony were: Charles Sousa- MPP Mississauga South, Chris Hatch-Executive Director of The Mississauga Food Bank, Elaine McCarthy-Program Manager of The Compass, Dawn Pullar- Director of Operations of The Mississauga Food Bank and many dedicated volunteers.
The Compass is located at 310 Lakeshore Road West in Port Credit. For more information, visit www.thecompass.ca.

UPCOMING EVENTS
 
JUNE 19 – SUMMERFEST
The Mississauga Food Bank will be joining along with the Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood Centre at their annual Summerfest Celebration. This is a non-profit event that is organized every year for families and friends of the Dixie-Bloor community. There will be multi-cultural entertainment, games, prizes, refreshments, food and so much more. ALL for FREE! Applewood Heights Secondary School, 945 Bloor Street East, Mississauga (north-west corner of Bloor Street and Tomken Road) from 11:00am – 3:00pm

JULY 1 – CANADA DAY
The Mississauga Food Bank will be taking part in Paint the Town Red – Port Credit’s Canada Day celebrations on July 1st! Come on out and donate food as our truck and volunteers pass by in the parade, and stop by our tent to say hello! This event will also be celebrating Port Credit’s 175th Anniversary – another reason to paint the town red! Visit www.paintthetownred.ca for more information.

STAFF NEWS
We are pleased to welcome Nikki Sandhu to our staff team as the Manager of Volunteer Programs. Nikki brings a strong background and track record in volunteer management and human resources having worked at several law firms, as an Event Coordinator for The Canadian Cancer Society and as a Volunteer Development Assistant at the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Nikki earned a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Business Management specializing in Human Resources from Ryerson University and has completed her Volunteer Management Certificate at Humber College.
 
Nikki will focus her attention on the development of new volunteer programs that align with our transformation to a hub operation supporting The Mississauga Food Bank’s delivery of services to its member agencies and community.  
 
If you have an opportunity, feel free to contact Nikki to say hello. She can be reached at 905.270.5589 x227 or nikki@themississaugafoodbank.org.

Plant a row – Grow a Row
“Be Full of Beans” program encourages children and their families to grow extra for those in need

A handful of seeds, well-prepared soil and Plant a Row • Grow a Row JUNIOR help teach the “how to’s” of veggie gardening and harvest sharing

Growing beans and all kinds of other vegetables is becoming a snap, thanks to Plant a Row • Grow a Row JUNIOR, a veggie gardening and sharing initiative for children and their families, sponsored by the Garden Writers Association, Food Banks Canada and The Compost Council of Canada. And to kick off the gardening season, a free package of beans and growing instructions is available to gardeners interested in supporting this initiative, thanks to the support of McKenzie Seeds.

“Whether it’s beans, zucchini, carrots, herbs or tomatoes, growing vegetables offers the possibility of harvests for children and their families beyond just the food that is grown,” said Susan Antler, Program Advocate and Executive Director of the Compost Council of Canada. “From planting the seed and nurturing its growth to the harvest and its sharing with local food banks and those in need, all of these actions offer experiences as well as a sense of accomplishment that will help a child grow and develop. And importantly, it can be a lot of fun at a pretty low cost.”

In addition to the free bean seed package and planting instructions, a special section devoted to children and veggie gardening has been posted on www.growarow.org, thanks to the support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and care from organizations such as Rittenhouse, icangarden and Scotts Canada.

Call 1-877-571-GROW(4769) for a free package of beans to grow in your garden this summer and share some of the harvest with your local food bank. One request per family or organization. A total of 5000 bean seed packages available.

If you would like to donate produce to The Mississauga Food Bank, please contact Dawn Pullar, Director of Operations, at dawn@themississaugafoodbank.org or 905.270.5589 x224. 

The Mississauga Food Bank regularly solicits input from a Registered Nutritionist to ensure that the food received by clients is in compliance with Canada’s Food Guide. We recently received a report from the nutritionist who visited with us, and would like to share the report with you.

~~~

This letter is in response to your request for a nutritional assessment of donated food by The Mississauga Food Bank to its clients.  This report is based on three cart samples that were provided by your establishment; one cart contained food for one client which is to last them for seven to ten days, the second cart contained food for a family of four for seven to ten days and the last cart was for an infant approximately six months to one and a half years old for seven to ten days.

This analysis is based on Canada’s Food Guide and except for the infant cart, represents their daily recommendations for an adult between the ages of nineteen to fifty.  Canada’s Food Guide is broken down into five categories and their servings which are as follows;

Vegetables and Fruit: 7-10 servings per day where a serving is equivalent to approximately one half cup of fresh, canned or frozen produce.

Grain Products: 6-8 servings per day where a serving is represented as one slice of bread, ½ bagel or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta.

Milk and Alternatives: 2 servings per day where a serving is represented as 50 g of cheese, 1 cup of milk or soy beverage or ¾ cup yogurt.

Meat and Alternatives: 2-3 servings per day where a serving is represented as 75g of meat, fish or chicken, 2 eggs, 2 tbsp peanut butter or ½ cup beans.

Oils and Fats: 2-3 tbsp per day.

Canada’s Food Guide ensures that if the above requirements are met, then a person is receiving all of their daily essential vitamins and minerals to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

Cart #1 – Food for one client for seven to ten days
This cart contains approximately 45 servings of grains, 29 servings of protein, 60 servings of fruit and vegetables, 10 tbsp fat and approximately 8 servings of dairy, but there are approximately 10-12 servings of calcium available from the other foods listed. This more than meets the daily requirements listed in Canada’s food guide and this cart will last one person for seven to ten days with proper portioning.

Cart #2 – Food for a family of four, to last seven to ten days
This cart contains approximately 130 servings of carbohydrates which would be enough for 4.5 servings per day per person for seven to ten days.  The protein value of this cart is approximately 33 servings which gives each person about 1 ½ servings per day for seven days. Fruits and vegetables total about 112 servings which will allow for five servings for each person for seven days.  Dairy will only allow for one serving per day for seven days, but calcium will be obtained through other food items such as beans. It could be increased by offering another bag of pasta or a box of cereal per week and a couple more tins of fruit or vegetables or a bag of fresh or frozen produce. All other categories are within reasonable limits.

Cart #3 – Food for an infant approximately 6 months to 1 ½ years old
This cart contains all the recommended allowances for fruit and vegetables, protein and carbohydrates and dairy needed for seven to ten days.

Based on the items above, it is with confidence that The Mississauga Food Bank can state that it is offering its clients a well balanced and nutritional supply of food with only the one recommendation pertaining to the family of four.

~~

We are pleased that a Registered Nutritionist has stated that we are offering a well balanced and nutritional supply of food. We can only do this with your generosity and support – thank you! As you can see, dried pasta and canned fruits and vegetables are two items we are always in need of, so as you do your shopping this weekend, please pick up an extra few items for the food bank!

From The Mississauga News – May 3, 2010

Cram the Cruiser gets national award

Two Port Credit Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers were recognized recently for helping to set up a Christmas initiative that has raised more than $46,000 and contributed more than 105,000 pounds of food to The Mississauga Food Bank.

Csts. John Jameson and William Watts were given a plaque by Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire (IODE), a national women’s charity dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for individuals through educations support, community service and citizenship programs. The officers were honoured for organizing the Cram the Cruiser food drive that benefits The Mississauga Food Bank, the largest food bank in Peel.

Since 2006, Watts and Jameson have sought local businesses and stakeholders to help with the project and they’ve received assistance from three Loblaws and a high school.

The concept of Cram the Cruiser is to set up an OPP cruiser outside participating grocery stores. Shoppers then fill the car with non-perishable food and/or donate cash.

Watts and Jameson received the plaque at IODE’s annual general meeting on April 15. The group also donated $500 to the food bank.

Thanks to Csts. Jameson and Watts for their ongoing support! We look forward to working with you again this year!

I am pleased to announce that our 2010 Gala raised $83,560.75 representing a 9% growth in net revenue over 2009. This is a great indication of the support we receive  from our community.

A special thank you to those who sold tickets and procured silent auction items. The silent auction items we procured this year raised $10,263!

We have begun planning and are looking ahead to our 2011 Gala to mark the milestone of our 25^th anniversary.

-Meghan Nicholls, Director of Marketing and Fund Development

“Be Full of Beans” program encourages children and their families to grow extra for those in need

A handful of seeds, well-prepared soil and Plant a Row • Grow a Row JUNIOR help teach the “how to’s” of veggie gardening and harvest sharing

Canada – April 5, 2010 – Growing beans and all kinds of other vegetables is becoming a snap, thanks to Plant a Row • Grow a Row JUNIOR, a veggie gardening and sharing initiative for children and their families, sponsored by the Garden Writers Association, Food Banks Canada and The Compost Council of Canada. And to kick off the gardening season, a free package of beans and growing instructions is available to gardeners interested in supporting this initiative, thanks to the support of McKenzie Seeds.

“Whether it’s beans, zucchini, carrots, herbs or tomatoes, growing vegetables offers the possibility of harvests for children and their families beyond just the food that is grown,” said Susan Antler, Program Advocate and Executive Director of the Compost Council of Canada. “From planting the seed and nurturing its growth to the harvest and its sharing with local food banks and those in need, all of these actions offer experiences as well as a sense of accomplishment that will help a child grow and develop. And importantly, it can be a lot of fun at a pretty low cost.”

“Plant a Row • Grow a Row JUNIOR is a great way for children and their families to come together for an amazing cause,” said Britt Lawson, Brand Manager, McKenzie Seeds. “We are thrilled to support this program, and encourage families to get their hands and knees dirty in the garden this summer. The benefits of this project will last for years to come as young Canadians learn the joys of gardening and community service simultaneously.”

In addition to the free bean seed package and planting instructions, a special section devoted to children and veggie gardening has been posted on www.growarow.org, thanks to the support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and care from organizations such as Rittenhouse, icangarden and Scotts Canada. Posters and other support materials are also made available for those interested in promoting the initiative within their community.

Call 1-877-571-GROW(4769) for a free package of beans to grow in your garden this summer and share some of the harvest with your local food bank. One request per family or organization. A total of 5000 bean seed packages available. Call early.

The CAN-DO team at GE Commercial Distribution Finance Canada built a Vancouver inukshuk from non-perishable food items that were donated to The Mississauga Food Bank!

Malkan Pinto reported that “…the whole team really enjoyed the CAN-DO competition and were happy to be involved in giving to such a worthy cause.”

Thanks GE!

A Message from the Executive Director
The predicted economic downturn arrived in late 2008. What no one predicted was the extent of the devastation this recession would have and continues to have on so many individuals and their families.

The U.N. announced that over one billion people globally are now facing severe food insecurity. Since the Canadian labour market peaked in October 2008, Ontario welfare caseloads have hit a nine-year high with dire warnings of long-term chronic unemployment and depleted EI benefits. Yet, many politicians and economists have declared an end to this recession. However, based on the 20% increase in need for food that we witnessed and the look of despair on our clients’ faces, this declaration is premature.

Food banks and similar front-line social agencies have been hit especially hard. The Ontario Association of Food Banks has reported significant operating challenges among its food bank members including declining food donations, diminishing financial support often resulting in reduced operating hours or closures, and increasing demand for services. This is the environment in which we find ourselves and the on-going challenges we face.

The staff and volunteers of The Mississauga Food Bank have risen to these challenging times and have worked especially hard this past year fulfilling our mission of positively impacting the lives of those who are hungry in our community by effectively sourcing, managing, and distributing food.

The Mississauga Food Bank was very successful last year rebranding itself, raising required funds, and sourcing and distributing a record amount of food. In addition, prudent investments were made in new staff, infrastructure improvements, and initiatives to help raise community awareness of the unacceptable levels of poverty/hunger here in Mississauga.

I am pleased to report that The Mississauga Food Bank is solidly positioned to continue meeting the growing needs of its member agencies and clients and I am honoured to serve as your Executive Director.

I look forward to another successful year working together towards the achievement of our strategic priorities and mission.

Client Story

Kim never imagined she would need to rely on a food bank to meet her family’s needs each month. Two years ago, she and her husband, along with their two teenage sons, lived in relative comfort in their Mississauga home. When their marriage broke down, and financial problems ensued, Kim found herself responsible for all of their financial needs on one income.

Even though she works full-time in an office, her salary only covers her mortgage payments and utilities, not leaving enough money to pay for food. Her oldest son has been looking for work for months to help with the family’s expenses, but as they don’t have extra money for transportation, he has to find a job within walking distance of their house, and so far has been unsuccessful in his search. Kim’s younger son has some learning disabilities and needs her help with homework, thus making it impossible for her to take a second job to make ends meet.

Approximately 8 months ago, Kim came to The Mississauga Food Bank for the first time. “I was nervous to go to a food bank,” she said, “as I didn’t know what I would expect there. But I found that the staff were compassionate and helpful, and treated me with respect.”

Kim now comes to The Mississauga Food Bank every two weeks to receive 7-10 days of nutritious food, and her eldest son has learned to make the food she receives stretch to last the full two weeks between visits. “Without The Mississauga Food Bank, I don’t know how we’d be getting by,” says Kim, “We wouldn’t still be in our home if it weren’t for the food bank.”

Kim is now volunteering on Wednesday nights to give back to others who find themselves in the same situation as her family.

Provide a family like Kim’s with food and hope
For every $1 you donate to The Mississauga Food Bank, $10 of food is collected, cleaned, sorted and distributed to families like Kim’s. You can make a difference in your community by feeding your hungry neighbours. By making a donation today, you are helping to alleviate hunger here in Mississauga. Help show your neighbours that even in these tough economic times, there are truly people who want to fight hunger and feed hope.

Please click here to make your online donation and receive a tax receipt by email immediately.
You can also give online by clicking the ‘Donate Now’ button on the front page of www.themississaugafoodbank.org.

Featured Program – Volunteer Management
The Mississauga Food Bank operates a variety of programs as a part of our mandate to positively impact the lives of those who are hungry by effectively sourcing, managing and distributing food. One of these programs is our volunteer management program.

Each month, we source, warehouse, and distribute food valued at over $6M per year to over 12,000 clients. Food is sourced through corporate and individual donations, sponsorships, and through collaboration with the Ontario Association of Food Banks. The food is then picked up and transported to The Mississauga Food Bank, where is it inventoried, sorted and stored before it is delivered to clients and member agencies within the community.

Much of this work is performed by volunteers. In 2009, The Mississauga Food Bank volunteers logged over 26,000 hours! From high school students seeking hours to graduate, to developmentally challenged adults, to those mandated to volunteer by the court system, the volunteers at The Mississauga Food Bank are as diverse as the clients.

Funding for the volunteer management program helps us to build an effective infrastructure and supporting management systems so that volunteers can carry out key organizational tasks.

The volunteer management program includes the following activities:

• Staff – To oversee recruitment, training, management and recognition of volunteers
• Phones – Maintenance of and fees for the phone system, allowing contact with volunteers
• Website – Development of website to serve as a volunteer recruitment tool and awareness-raising medium
• Database – Development and maintenance of an online volunteer database
• Materials – T-shirts, name tags and smocks for volunteers
• Appreciation – Costs for thanking volunteers (events, token gifts, thank you notes, etc.)

The total cost associated with the volunteer management program for 12 months is $71,200.

For more information on how to financially support the volunteer management program, please contact Meghan Nicholls, Director of Marketing & Fund Development at 905.270.5589 x226 or meghan@themississaugafoodbank.org.

New Truck!
Thanks to the generosity of 3 of our great supporters, BDO Canada LLP, EMD Serono, and the Community Foundation of Mississauga, The Mississauga Food Bank has been able to purchase a second, smaller refrigerated truck! This truck will enable us to do smaller pickups and deliveries more affordably, and increases our ability to collect and distribute food during busy times of year. Plus it is small enough that anyone with a G class license can drive it, so it is an effective tool for us as we work to feed the hungry in Mississauga.

Watch for it on the roads and at community events across Mississauga!

Upcoming Events

The Mississauga Food Bank Spring Food Drive
March 18 – April 8
From companies organizing internal food drives, individuals dropping off non-perishables at their local fire hall or grocery store, and religious groups having a collection barrel in their foyer, this is a great way for the Mississauga community to come together to ensure their neighbours don’t go hungry this Spring, as the food from this drive carries The Mississauga Food Bank through the summer. Watch for our logo in your community and donate!
Our goal for this year is 60,000 lbs of food and $60,000 raised!

We need volunteers to help sort all the food that comes in on Friday, April 2nd, Saturday, April 3rd, and Sunday, April 4th. To register as a volunteer (MANDATORY) or find information on how to run a food drive or what items are most needed, please visit www.mississaugafooddrive.org.

Greater Toronto Apartment Association
Spring Hope Apartment & Condo Food Drive
For the fourth year in a row, and after winning the Guinness World Record for largest one-day food drive in 2008, the Greater Toronto Apartments Association is once again launching the Spring Hope Food Drive.

Rental and condominium buildings across the Greater Toronto Area will be raising food on Tuesday, April 13th to feed their hungry neighbours. 150,000 lbs were raised last year! Let’s see if we can exceed that goal! If you live in an apartment or condominium building, speak to your superintendent today about getting involved!

For more information, visit www.springhopefooddrive.ca.

Staff Changes
In February, we said goodbye to Khush Patel, who has been working part-time as a Client Intake Worker. She will be graduating from the University of Toronto, and heading out to spend the next year travelling and volunteering around the world. We wish you all the best Khush!

On January 26th, we were pleased to welcome Jennifer Paratholil to our team as our new full-time Office Administrator. Jennifer comes to us with over 10 years of administration experience, and has started her BIG task of getting us better organized! She will be responsible for all of our reception, database management and some finance functions. Jennifer can be reached at 905.270.5589 x222 or jennifer@themississaugafoodbank.org. Feel free to drop her a line to say hello!

2010 Gala
We would like to invite you to join us for our 2010 Gala on Thursday, April 8, 2010 at The Mississauga Grand Banquet and Convention Centre. This year’s theme is “A Night in the Tropics” and we’re looking forward to a tropical evening featuring the sights, sounds and flavours of the Caribbean!

Those who have attended in previous years know it is an evening full of amazing entertainment, delicious food and cocktails, and an exciting silent auction. It is always a fabulous evening, and over the past three years, has raised over $180,000.

If you’re not able to attend, you can still help this event be a success by donating items for our Silent Auction that are new, and valued at over $25.

Tickets are $250 each or $2500 for a table of 10. They’re selling fast, so please contact Meghan to purchase your tickets today at meghan@themississaugafoodbank.org or 905.270.5589 x226.

If you didn’t know, The Mississauga Food Bank is on Twitter. (www.twitter.com/food_bank) It’s a great way for us to connect with others in our community, and with other food banks and charities across Canada and around the world!

Today I came across a tweet from Edmonton’s Food Bank with a link to a blog called The Working Poor Diet. It’s an initiative they’ve started inviting people to try out how it is to live on the $80 a month most working poor have to spend on food, while still trying to meet their nutritional needs. The goal of this initiative is to get people to make donations to Edmonton’s Food Bank in honour of the participants who are living on this diet for the month of February.

It was interesting to read more about the kind of choices the participant is making – does she buy meat, or does she fill up on carbohydrates like rice and potatoes?

I highly recommend following this blog for the month of February – it will give you some great insight to the type of challenges our clients at The Mississauga Food Bank face every day.

http://theworkingpoordiet.blogspot.com/