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!

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/

I came across a very interesting website today in the newsletter from the York Regional Food Network, and it has really confirmed for me some of the things I’ve seen here at our food bank. It’s a great site that allows you to fill in how much you think it would cost for a single person in Ontario to live with dignity, and then compare that against the amount provided by Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program or working at a minimum wage job. I encourage you to take the quiz, and see what you find out.

Meghan Nicholls
Director of Marketing & Fund Development

The following is taken from the Do The Math website:

Poverty in Ontario is at an all time high. As the economic crisis grows, so does the number of people relying on social assistance and food banks.

Does a single person on social assistance receive enough income to live with health and dignity? Do The Math to find out!

Join The Stop Community Food Centre and the campaign to Put Food in the Budget and help us reduce poverty.

Start by taking the survey and Do the Math. What would you need to make ends meet if your situation changed and you had to rely on social assistance? If you were a single person on social assistance, what would you need?

Would you have to move? How much do you need for rent and groceries? Is a telephone or internet connection a necessary expense? What about a cup of coffee or having a friend over for dinner? Do the Math and compare your results to what single people on social assistance receive each month.

If you are convinced that social assistance is inadequate to live with health and dignity, you will have a chance to make your voice heard.

Do The Math: http://www.dothemath.thestop.org

We are pleased to announce that the Mississauga Senators Minor Atom AAA Hockey Team REALLY exceeded their goal, and raised a total of 3000 pounds of food. Way to go guys!

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We are always so pleased when groups of people raise food on our behalf. Over the last 23 years, The Mississauga Food Bank has received almost 100% of our food by donations from corporations and the general public. It’s great to see neighbours helping neighbours!

A great story came across my desk that I thought I’d share with you. The Mississauga Senators Minor Atom AAA Hockey Team decided to do a food drive on our behalf and came up with a fantastic goal – the total body weight of all their players! So their goal is 1036 lbs of food, and we can’t wait to see if they beat their goal!

Players will be out collecting non-perishable food items this Saturday, so if a Senators hockey player knocks on your door asking for food, help him bring in his body weight in food!

We will post a photo as soon as we have them, and let you know the total amount of food raised. Thanks Senators!!

-Meghan Nicholls, Director of Marketing & Fund Development

We’re really excited to have a blog up on our website, where we can share up to the minute information, client stories, volunteer perspectives, and behind the scenes information with you. Watch this space in the coming weeks for blog posts from guest bloggers including our clients, volunteers, member agencies, and others.

Cheers!
Meghan Nicholls
Director of Marketing & Fund Development