We are pleased to announce that the Tim Hortons Store Owners of Mississauga will be the Platinum Sponsors of the 2010 Gala!
Tickets are sold out!
Our 2010 Gala is coming up 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.
Cocktails 6:00pm | Dinner 7:00pm
Click here to view the PDF invitation.
To see photos from the 2009 Gala, please visit our Photo Gallery.
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.
Fall Food Drive
The 2009 Fall Food Drive was another success! With a goal of raising 150,000 lbs of food, we were pleased to raise 122,657 lbs.
The Fall Food Drive is our largest annual volunteer effort to source food to feed our neighbours in need. From companies organizing internal food drives, individuals dropping off non-perishables at their local fire hall or grocery store, and religious groups having a barrel in their foyer, many people in the city of Mississauga came together to ensure their neighbours don’t go hungry.
The Fall Food Drive is also a great volunteer opportunity! For 3 days on Thanksgiving weekend and 2 days the following weekend, 75 volunteers came to The Mississauga Food Bank to help sort all of the food donations.
Thanks to everyone who made this year’s Fall Food Drive another great success!
Client Story
The sudden, unexpected loss of income can be more devastating than years of living on the edge. Everything was going right for Monique after years of discipline and hard work. The 29-year old mother of 4 had gone to school and worked a series of jobs to ensure she could support her children. The future looked bright when she landed a full-time position as a regional manager for a large jewellery retailer.
When the recession hit, Monique’s American-owned employer was soon looking for ways to cut costs and she was laid off. Living on employment insurance benefits is a stretch for any family, but Monique’s pressures were compounded by her kind gesture of taking in a friend and her 4 children so they could escape domestic abuse.
When practical realities overtook her pride, Monique found herself at the door of The Mississauga Food Bank. Her nervousness and embarrassment immediately evaporated when she discovered a waiting room full of people just like herself. “Everyone knows the cliché, ‘it can happen to anyone’,” she says, “but you never think that ‘anyone’ is going to be yourself.”
The Thanksgiving bag of food Monique received was a delightful contrast to the canned vegetables and soup she had expected. “It was wonderful to receive a turkey and fresh vegetables,” she says, “and I thoroughly enjoyed the pumpkin pie which I had never tried before.”
The unfortunate circumstances that brought Monique to the food bank turned out to be a stroke of good fortune after her case worker guided her to a subsidized training program. She is completing the fist year of a two-year program to become a dental hygienist. “In a strange way, getting laid off was a blessing,” she says. “The hours for dental hygienists are better than retail, it pays more and dental hygienists are allowed to have their own practice. It means I’ll have more time to spend with my kids.” She is still grateful to be able to access the food bank once a month, but the ever-ambitious Monique is keeping her gaze solidly on the exciting career that lies ahead.
All in the Numbers
- 17% of Mississauga residents live in poverty
- 12,000 client visits each month
- 100 tons – amount of food The Mississauga Food Bank distributes each month
- 35% of our clients that have at least a post secondary education
- $4.63 – average amount per day our clients have for vital expenses such as food and utilities after paying rent
- 26,000 volunteer hours served at The Mississauga Food Bank each year
- 30 – the number of Mississauga agencies who receive food from The Mississauga Food Bank each month
Featured Program – Transportation
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 transportation program.
Each month, we source, warehouse and distribute food to over 12,000 clients, valued at over $6M per year. 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.
We distribute food to over 30 Agencies across Mississauga, including food banks, breakfast clubs, women’s shelters, meal programs, and addiction recovery centres.
Support of our transportation program allows us to meet our mandate to impact the lives of those who are hungry by effectively sourcing and distributing food to the community in our truck.
The transportation program includes the following activities:
• Vehicle Costs -Servicing, maintaining, insuring and licensing our 24′ refrigerated delivery truck
• Fuel – Over $10,000 a year to keep our truck picking up and delivering food
• Receiving Area – upgrades to our warehouse receiving area
• Driver – A full-time staff person to serve as the face of The Mississauga Food Bank as he interacts with both food donors and recipient agencies
The total cost associated with the transportation program for 12 months is $63,244.
For more information on how to financially support the transportation program, please contact Meghan Nicholls, Director, Marketing & Fund Development at 905.270.5589 x226 or meghan@themississaugafoodbank.org.
Fight Hunger and Feed Hope this Holiday Season
For every $1 donated to The Mississauga Food Bank, we are able to collect, clean, sort and distribute $10 of food into the community.
To get a great return on your investment by feeding your hungry neighbours this holiday season, we invite you to consider a financial donation to The Mississauga Food Bank. You can give online by clicking on the donate section of the website.
How Far Can Your Donation Go?
• $5 per month ($60/year) provides one adult with nutritional food for 10 days each month for a full year.
• $20 per month ($240/year) provides a family of 4 with nutritional food for 10 days each month for a full year.
• $30 per month ($360/year) covers the cost of collecting, cleaning, sorting, and distributing 1 tonne (2,000 pounds) of donated food to the hungry in our community.
• $60 per month ($720/year) provides 30 days of fuel for The Mississauga Food Bank truck to deliver food to over 30 agencies throughout Mississauga.
Website Facelift
Our website has recently undergone a facelift! It still contains all the important information you need about The Mississauga Food Bank, but with a new, fresh look! Thanks for checking it out! And while you’re here, why not follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/food_bank) or become a fan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/themississaugafoodbank)?
E-Newsletter
This newsletter was released via e-mail and as a print version. Both versions contain all of the same information, but the online one allows the reader to link directly to our website from the newsletter. It also saves us the costs of printing and postage.
If you would prefer to receive this quarterly publication via email, please let us know! Just email info@themississaugafoodbank.org with your name and email address, and we’ll add you to our list. If you can think of anyone else who might be interested, please send us their email address too!
We take the privacy of our donors and friends very seriously, so rest assured that we won’t share your information with anyone else.
Upcoming Events
Food for Thought
first Wednesday of each month, from 6:00-7:00pm
Each month, The Mississauga Food Bank holds ‘Food for Thought’. This is a 1 hour information session and facility tour designed to introduce people from the community to The Mississauga Food Bank. This is an excellent way to gain insight into the impact The Mississauga Food Bank has in your community and is definitely an hour well spent!
4th Annual Gala
Thursday, April 8, 2010
The Gala is always a fantastic night of food, music and our amazing silent auction – you don’t want to miss it! Tickets are available for $250 each or $2500 for a table of 10. Contact us at info@themississaugafoodbank.org for more information.
Epicure Monthly Giving Club
The Mississauga Food Bank has recently launched our monthly donor program called the Epicure Monthly Giving Club. Giving monthly is convenient and affordable; it saves you time, postage, and bank fees. It also allows The Mississauga Food Bank to have a consistent source of income throughout the year. Would you consider joining the Epicure Monthly Giving Club? Members will receive exclusive benefits!
It’s simple to join; you can fill out a form online and give monthly with your credit card!
Visit the ‘Donate’ section of www.themississaugafoodbank.org for more information or contact Meghan Nicholls at 905.270.5589 x226.
Meet Our Staff
Our staff team!
Name: Steve Dutton
Title: Driver
Staff since: 1998
Interesting Fact: Steve is into drag racing.
Name: Stephen Edwards
Title: Assistant Warehouse Operator
Staff since: Summers since 2004, Full-time since 2009
Interesting Fact: Has an MA in Forensic Document Analysis
Name: Chris Hatch
Title: Executive Director
Staff since: September 2008
Interesting Fact: Once sat in the president’s chair in the Oval Office
Name: Meghan Nicholls
Title: Director, Marketing and Fund Development
Staff since: August 2009
Interesting Fact: My husband Alex and I shot a film in Rwanda in 2008.
Name: Khush Patel
Title: Client Intake Worker
Staff since: 2008
Interesting Fact: Won a contest as a child to be a Pamper’s Baby
Name: Doreen Peterson
Title: Warehouse Reclamation Operator
Staff since: Volunteer since 2001, Staff since 2008
Interesting Fact: Doreen REALLY loves coca-cola.
Name: Dawn Pullar
Title: Director of Operations
Staff since: Volunteer since 1992, staff since 1998
Interesting Fact: Dawn is an avid winemaker
Name: Stephen Pullar
Title: Warehouse Operator
Staff since: 2002
Interesting Fact: Stephen was born in Chiswick, England.
