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.

“Our usual fundraising activities are great, but the Think Recycle program directly protects the environment,“ says Meghan Nicholls, Director of Marketing and Fund Development. “This way we can stop filling up our landfills with electronic waste and fundraise at the same time.”

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, says Tony Perrotta, President of Greentec.

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.

“With Think Recycle, not only are you helping The Mississauga Food Bank raise money to feed the hungry in our community, but you get to directly protect the environment,” says Meghan Nicholls.

The public 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.

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.

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. 

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!

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

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 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.

Go to www.charitycars.ca today to learn more!

Dawn Pullar and Auxiliary Constable John Jameson

A huge thanks goes out to the OPP Port Credit Detachment Auxiliary Unit for their amazing work with the annual “Cram the Cruiser” campaign. Community volunteers were at various Mississauga Loblaw grocery store locations each weekend during November and December with hope to cram more than 40 cruisers with donated food in support of The Mississauga Food Bank. In addition, food donations were made at the OPP Port Credit Detachment.

The Mississauga Food Bank is thrilled with the results of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Port Credit Detachment Auxiliary Unit annual “Cram the Cruiser” Food Drive and we look forward to working on it again in 2010! The total funds raised were $17,415 and total food raised was 34,614 lbs.

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.