TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO ENTER!

As a special thank you to our online supporters, we would like to invite you to enter to win a BlackBerry PlayBook (donated by Bell Canada) valued at $599. You can enter in our draw right now online »

Entry in the draw is free, but the contest ends on March 23 at 11:59pm and we’ll announce our winner on March 26! Once you’ve entered, you can improve your chances of winning by helping us spread the word about how The Mississauga Food Bank is fighting hunger and feeding hope.

The winner of our draw will receive a brand-new Blackberry PlayBook, a professional-grade tablet that helps transform the way you work and play by combining the features you need with a powerful, ultra-portable design you want. It has a 7-inch display and weighs less than 1 lb!

By entering in this draw and sending it to family and friends, you are playing a key role in growing our network of those who want to fight hunger in Mississauga and making it possible for us to provide almost 2 million meals each year.

Enter in our free draw »

We’re pleased to announce that A Night at the Warehouse is sold out! Thanks to all the ticket sellers and purchasers for their support of this event.

More tickets will become available, so if you’d like to get on the waiting list, please email Meghan Nicholls at meghan@themississaugafoodbank.org.

If you’re on facebook, go ‘Like’ The Mississauga Food Bank today! You can find us at fb.com/themississaugafoodbank.

And while you’re on Facebook, why not use your Timeline cover photo to show your support!

Sample of a Facebook Timeline with a food bank cover image

Just download the cover image below and set it as your Timeline cover image – it’s easy and a great way to help support feeding your neighbours here in Mississauga.

To download this image, you can right click (PC) or command click (MAC) on the link and select “save link as” (Firefox & Chrome), “save target as” (Internet Explorer), or “download linked file” (Safari) to save a copy of the file. Then you can upload your new Cover to your Facebook profile.
 

Square One Store Donates $7988 to Help Feed those in Need

Mississauga, ON February 8th – The Mississauga Food Bank is slated to receive a gift of $7,988 from Whole Foods Market’s Bag Hunger 2012 campaign. All of the funds will support The Mississauga Food Bank in their mission to fight hunger in our community.

“We are grateful for the support provided by Whole Foods Market Square One and their customers in the Bag Hunger Campaign,” says Meghan Nicholls, Director of Marketing and Fund Development for The Mississauga Food Bank. “$7,988 allows us to distribute over 31,000 meals into the community; which makes a big difference for families who are hungry in Mississauga.

The Bag Hunger campaign gives Whole Foods Market (WFM) customers and team members an opportunity to donate at the cash register and help those in need.  “This is the first year we’ve offered the program as a new store and we are thrilled with our results,” says Lisa McAllister, Community Relations Specialist for WFM.

“The generosity of our customers and team members is overwhelming,” says Lisa Slater, WFM Store Team Leader. “Actively supporting our community is one of Whole Foods Market’s core values. We are extremely proud of our Bag Hunger program and are thrilled to partner with The Mississauga Food Bank.”

For information about WFM’s philanthropic programs, visit www.wholefoods.com.

Craig Alexander, Senior Vice President & Chief Economist for TD Bank Group, wrote this op-ed in the Toronto Star on Saturday December 10th. It’s a well-written article explaining why charitable giving by individuals is so important this year.

Read it here as a PDF, or visit the Toronto Star’s website for an abridged version.

We are now 9 days in to the Holiday Drive with goals of 125,000 pounds of food and $200,000 to reach before December 31st. We’re obviously not there yet, but thanks to your generous donations, we’re off to a good start! So far you’ve helped by donating over 72,100 pounds of food and over $39,000.

Every little bit helps, whether you can donate one can of tuna or 100. You can start making an impact by donating to the Holiday Drive right now online or by dropping off non-perishable food donations to your local fire hall or grocery store. Our most needed food items include canned fish and meat, canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, stew, and dried and canned lentils and beans.

Have you ever considered running a food drive at your school or workplace? It’s easy to do and a great way to start making a difference in the community. Find out more by clicking here.

You would probably be surprised to see who is affected by hunger here in our neighbourhood. In Mississauga, the faces of hunger are those of a child, a senior, a new Canadian—your neighbours…

Click here to read the entire message.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Port Credit Detachment Auxiliary Unit is pleased to announce their success in the annual “Cram the Cruiser” Food Drive.

Since the campaign began on November 19th, the Port Credit Auxiliary Unit has collected an estimated 41,000 lbs of non-perishable food and more than $12,000 in cash donations for The Mississauga Food Bank.

The food drive wraps up this weekend, December 10 -11 at the No Frills Store – Dixie Mall (Dixie Road South Service Road, Mississauga.

In addition, food donations can be made at the OPP Port Credit Detachment. (49 South Service Road, Mississauga ON.)

The Mississauga Food Bank supplies food to more than 38,000 residents in need each month without municipal,provincial or federal government funding. The Mississauga Food Bank also supports a growing network of food banks, hot meal programs, shelters, addiction centers and breakfast programs.

Items most needed include peanut butter, canned fish & meat, canned beans, canned stew, and canned fruits & vegetables.

As we enter December, and the holiday season, we encourage you to join with our members in support those less fortunate in your community. Together, we can fight hunger and feed hope!

We were pleased to release our newest Annual Report last night at our Annual General Meeting. We’re pleased to share it with you now!

This brochure summarizes activities and highlights from our most recently completed fiscal year, ending May 31, 2011.

Download our 2010-2011 Annual Report.

NEWS RELEASE

The Mississauga Food Bank has successful Fall Drive while food bank use remains high

Mississauga, ON – November 1, 2011

After last year’s record-setting Fall Drive in which residents of Mississauga donated a record-breaking 134,000 lbs. of food, The Mississauga Food Bank set out to beat last year’s results and also raise $50,000 in financial donations.

After the month-long drive, The Mississauga Food Bank is pleased to announce that $49,292 and 141,288 lbs. of food were raised. The Fall Drive is the largest annual food- and fund-raising event for The Mississauga Food Bank.

In “Hunger Count 2011”, an annual report on food bank use in Canada released today by Food Banks Canada, it is reported that food bank use across Canada remains 20% higher than in 2008, and 38% of users are children and youth under 18. These statistics ring true for The Mississauga Food Bank as well, where 38,000 people each month are accessing a food bank program.

Receiving donations of $49,292 in the Fall Drive will allow The Mississauga Food Bank to distribute $369,690 worth of donated food to community agencies. The 141,288 lbs. of food received will provide 6,142 people with 7-10 days’ worth of food at their once monthly visit to a local food bank.

The need for donations is year-round to ensure donated food can be distributed to those in need. Financial donations can be made online at www.themississaugafoodbank.org or by phone at 905.270.5589. Non-perishable food can be dropped off at all Mississauga fire halls year round.

“We are pleased with how close we came to meeting our financial goal and thrilled with beating our food goal,” said Chris Hatch, Executive Director, “We are grateful to the Mississauga community for rallying together again to feed our hungry neighbours especially since food bank usage continues to remain so high. We will continue to raise food and funds through the holiday season and are counting on the community’s continued support.”