Mississauga, we’re overjoyed to announce you’ve raised over $1.9 million and 350,000 pounds of food during our 2020 Holiday Food Drive to fight hunger!
“I’m incredibly humbled by the generosity our community has shown by supporting this year’s Holiday Food Drive. 2020 was a long and challenging year for us all, but that didn’t stop individuals, businesses, schools, and community groups across Mississauga from stepping up to ensure everyone in our city has access to the healthy and nutritious food they need,” says Meghan Nicholls, CEO.
Since the onset of the pandemic, the food bank has served over 28,500 Mississauga residents, a 62% increase from the year prior, and distributed food for over 3.7 million meals. Of the people accessing the food bank, over 7,000 were seeking emergency food for the first time. “We know the longer the pandemic lasts, the longer it will take for people to get back on their feet – the economic impact will be felt for years to come. This is why it is critical for us to continue fundraising and collect our most-needed food and household items in the months and years ahead,” Nicholls added.
2020 spurred creativity and generosity across the community as people looked for safe and innovative ways to fundraise. This year’s campaign saw the introduction of safe and contactless ways to get involved including the Healthy Pallet BINGO Challenge, 12 Days of Giving, and our first-ever Contactless Drive-Thru Food Drive. The number of supporters more than doubled this year, to over 8,800 businesses, community groups, schools, and individuals across Mississauga. Thanks to these generous neighbours, we will be able to distribute food to all of our hungry neighbours across Mississauga through our network of over 50 agencies.
Click here to watch a thank you video from Meghan!
The Mississauga Food Bank’s Holiday Food Drive was proudly sponsored by the Nissan Canada Foundation.
Top left: Donny the Donation Bag at our Contactless Drive-Thru Food Drive.
Top right: A food bank volunteer collecting donations.
Bottom left: Meghan Nicholls, CEO speaking to CBC Toronto about our Holiday Food Drive.
Bottom right: A food bank volunteer collecting donation boxes from 12 Days of Giving during our Contactless Drive-Thru Food Drive.
