2025
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2026
40 Years of Community
This year marks our 40th anniversary. When our founders established Food Path in 1986, they envisioned a temporary solution to an immediate crisis. Forty years later, our location is 43 times larger, a sobering testament to the persistent need in Mississauga.
While we wish food banks weren’t a permanent fixture, we celebrate the four decades of community care that make our work possible. Your volunteerism and donations have ensured that no neighbour goes without—thank you for your unwavering support.
Today, we are in a sustained state of emergency. The “record-breaking” numbers of the pandemic are now our daily reality, with 1 in 4 Canadian households facing food insecurity. Food banks began as a temporary “emergency room” and have now become a necessary “family doctor” due to a lack of systemic support.
Read on to see the direct impact of your generosity. Thank you for standing with your neighbours for the past 40 years and for continuing to help us build a food-secure future.
Throughout all the changes that FoodPath, The Mississauga Food Bank and now Food Banks Mississauga have undertaken, what has remained consistent is the support of our community. Your dedication to helping your neighbours in need has never wavered throughout these 40 years, and we are incredibly grateful.
Your support is helping folks in need in your neighbourhood, at your child’s school, in your church, temple or mosque, next to you on public transit… These are all real people who have healthy food on their plates because of you.
People like Stephen.
Stephen* lost his job in May 2025 and has been unable to find work. In seven months, he submitted over 1,000 job applications and received callbacks and interviews, but no job offers. He was initially able to get by on Employment Insurance (EI), but once that ran out, he had to go on Ontario Works (OW), the provincial welfare program, which has not been enough to sustain him.
“You know, $700 a month really doesn’t cover it. That doesn’t even cover my rent,” Stephen shared. “My expenses every month are about $1,800. Without the help of family, I’d be underwater. They’re the biggest part that’s helping to bridge that gap… I’ve had to make some changes. I sold my car.”
Unable to cover his basic expenses, Stephen turned to one of the 60+ food programs in our network. The food available for him is because of YOU, our community of supporters! Your generosity is helping neighbours like Stephen find savings in their already tight budget so they can allocate money to other basic needs.
*name changed to protect privacy
We are the infrastructure meeting community needs
As the largest food security organization in Peel Region, Food Banks Mississauga leads and distributes food to a network of 60+ food programs across Mississauga through a hub and spoke model. We act as the distribution centre, and these food programs are the “storefronts” serving food bank visitors.
This means your support goes beyond one organization to reach neighbours in need across the city!
From the food and funds that come in, to the neighbours who receive support — here’s how it all connects.
43,135 NEIGHBOURS made 513,045 visits
That's 1 in 17 Mississauga residents!
More Food to Feed the Need
Did you know that our largest source of food donations is from food companies? Thanks to your support and generosity, our team works up and down the food supply chain to source more donations of food for our network of 60+ food programs and beyond.
From ages 8 to 88, and from community groups, corporate partners, individuals, foundations, and non-profit partners, it takes all of us in Mississauga to make sure our food programs and neighbours have access to the food they need!
Read on to learn how you supported Food Banks Mississauga and the impact you made together in our community!
0 of you donated funds to help ensure neighbours experiencing food insecurity got to a food program with full shelves!
Almost half of Food Banks Mississauga's income is from generous individuals!
0 of you are monthly donors – thank you!
The Helping Hands Monthly Giving Club is vital, helping us plan and bring costs down, so more of your gift goes straight to supporting neighbours in need. Your monthly gifts also help us keep pace with the growing, urgent need in our community, especially when challenging times hit.
Thank you to the 0 donors who have joined the Food for Life Legacy Circle!
Leaving a gift in your will to Food Banks Mississauga is more than a donation; it's a way for your generosity, compassion, and care for your community to live on. Your gift will help address food security today and for years to come, transforming lives along the way.
We are only as strong as our community, and our volunteers are at the core!
"Volunteering makes me feel like an active and helpful part of my community. Every dollar, every tap, and every food item I succeed in encouraging someone to donate gives me a sense of relief—knowing that one more person won't be going to bed hungry this week.
I grew up poor, so I have firsthand experience of what it is like to struggle to put food on the table. That experience motivates me to help however I can; no one should go to bed hungry or worried about their next meal."
By working with local farmers, wholesalers, producers, and grocery stores, we rescue and rehome edible food. This may be fruit and vegetables that aren’t “pretty” enough for retail, surplus harvest or other food that would otherwise be wasted. While rescuing food can’t solve poverty and food insecurity, it is an effective way of finding donated food AND slowing climate change. Win-win!
Mississauga is home to many companies, and we have the pleasure of working with our corporate partners to create customized campaigns and activities to increase their employee engagement, provide a meaningful team-building experience, enhance community visibility and build social awareness. Thank you to our partners for choosing to give to neighbours in their own backyard, where their employees live and work.
Thanks to Orlando Corporation for matching year-end donations up to $150,000 - helping double the impact of every gift made during our year-end campaign.
Kimberly-Clark has committed $150,000 over three years (2023–2025) to support our move in 2023 to our current location, along with critical technology and systems upgrades.
Kimberly-Clark volunteers sorting food at our warehouse
Proceeds from McHappy Day in 2025 and 2026 totalled $52,891, raised by local Mississauga restaurants owned by Lawrenzo Foods ltd o/a McDonald's Restaurant of Canada.
From volunteer Corporate Impact Days to individual teams taking time out for a volunteer food sorting shift, our corporate partners show up in a big way — together, here's what that looks like.
When neighbours in need walk through our doors, we provide emergency one-time food support through our Community Assist Program and direct them to their closest food program so they can access consistent food support beyond our doors.
From sports teams and social clubs to faith groups and kindhearted community members who volunteer, organize bake sales and fundraisers, we are grateful to each one of you!
Thank you to members and friends of the Credit Valley Golf and Country Club for raising over $300,000 to help us secure a new 26-ft truck and to support our Food Bank 2 Home Delivery Program! We’re grateful for all their support in 2025 and for the second year of our partnership!
Islamic Relief Canada proudly sponsored the 2025 Ramadan Give 30 campaign and donated funds for food purchasing to ensure neighbours have the nutritious food they need. We are grateful to have charitable partners like them to join us in our work to create a food-secure Mississauga for all.
The Food Bank 2 Home Delivery Program brings custom food orders to homebound neighbours. Each order consists of fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable food of the neighbour's choosing (plus personal care and household items!).
"I'm thankful to them for helping me out… Because with my situation, I live alone, I'm on a wheelchair, I can't go all the time to do the shopping and the stuff I get from them is so nice; it has helped me out a lot. Especially if there's snowfall, I can't drive out there...I'm grateful and thankful for them to take out the time and send me some food."
*Name and photo are representative.
Thank you to the 52nd Mississauga Scouts for their ongoing support to provide healthy food to their neighbours in need! From fundraisers to food drives, they have supported Food Banks Mississauga for 20 years!
From sports teams to faith groups to schools, our community partners show up to make a difference — together, here's what that looks like.
Thank you to the many foundations and grant partners who support our work to ensure neighbours in need across Mississauga have the food they need! Special thank you to:
The Culturally Responsive Food Program is an equity initiative to better meet the needs and priorities of Black households in Mississauga; possible only thanks to your support! 25% of the food programs in our network are Black-led, Black-focused and Black-serving (B3) organizations. They play an important role in serving a community that is disproportionately affected by high levels of food insecurity. We recognize the importance of not only providing healthy food to neighbours in need, but foods that are connected to their cultures and traditions. In partnership with B3 leaders in our network, this program is doing more than filling plates—it’s strengthening our community, ensuring neighbours experience the dignity, comfort, and choice of being able to prepare meals that connect to their culture.
As a member of Feed Ontario and affiliate member of Food Banks Canada, we work closely with other food security organizations to maximize impact and reduce duplication.
In partnership with Feed Ontario and using a local-first model, we, along with other food bank organizations at the local, regional, and provincial levels, work together to increase and distribute food resources across the Central Ontario region. Together, we shared 5,971,273 lbs of food through Feed Collaboration, reaching 39 food banks across the province — 32% more than last year.
In partnership with Food Banks Canada, food banks across the country operate Tax Filing Clinics to help lower-income neighbours file their taxes so they can receive benefits they wouldn't have received otherwise. Last year, our volunteers completed 711 tax returns (19% more than the year before!), putting $3,309,200 back into the hands of our neighbours. THANK YOU to our dedicated volunteers who make this program possible!
Food banks were not meant to be a long-term solution, but over 40 years later, organizations like ours continue to fill the gaps as those who are already vulnerable fall further behind. Your support provides immediate food support today, while we advocate and address the root causes of food insecurity, including poverty.
To work towards a food-secure future for all, we advocate for long-term, systemic policy change through collective action with other food banks, anti-poverty groups and our provincial and national associations. Together, we meet with elected officials to educate them on the emergency we, our network and food bank visitors are facing.
Cut food insecurity by 50% by 2030 — a national commitment food banks are calling on the federal government to make.
Provincially, food banks are asking for improvements to Ontario Works (OW) to help neighbours get back to work sooner.
In order to build systems that will support food bank visitors to break out of poverty, it will take all of us, together.
Behind the impact you read about in this report is our team of 0 dedicated staff.
With specialized skills, experience and a passion for community improvement, they support our network of food programs, partners, donors and volunteers and ensure operational safety and efficiency.
Our team of drivers drove over 0 km!
From picking up donations at retailers and farmers to delivering food to one of the 60+ food programs in our network, our four trucks criss-cross the city and province to ensure that neighbours in need have the food they need.
Proud Living Wage employer since 2021 — the first in Peel Region!
As we advocate for those who are struggling with food insecurity and living in poverty to receive living wages, we recognize this work starts with us. The living wage for the GTA for 2026 is $27.20/hour.
Alizeh Jaffrey Zaidi, one of our fundraising team members, passed away suddenly on May 5, 2026.
She was deeply committed to philanthropy and its integration with her faith and worldview. A gifted writer and poet, she believed strongly in the power of uplifting the stories of those whose voices had been silenced. Alizeh was a valuable member of our team, and we miss her deeply. We mourn with her parents, husband, and young daughter, and all those who loved her.
Our work is possible because of the support of our sponsors and partners. Thank you for all that you do to ensure neighbours experiencing food insecurity receive the healthy food they need!
We at Food Banks Mississauga acknowledge that we reside and work on the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat and the Haudenosaunee. We are grateful to the First Peoples for their stewardship over the lands where we are currently gathering and honour the enduring contributions of Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island.
We also acknowledge the teachings of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Covenant, which call on all who share this land to care for its resources. We respect the ongoing relationships that Indigenous communities maintain with the land, water, food systems, and all living beings, and we are thankful to be here today.
Mississauga is home to many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people, and we acknowledge the many injustices that have been brought upon them. We recognize that colonization has disrupted Indigenous relationships with land, food systems, and community, impacting food sovereignty. We will strive to learn from and understand these injustices and bring awareness to them in our work to create a Mississauga where everyone is food secure.
We are steadfast in our commitment to truth and reconciliation through teaching, learning, advocacy, and being an allied partner to all Indigenous peoples. Together, we will work to create a more equitable community for all.
Our complete, audited financial statements for this fiscal year will be published here once available. Check back January 2027, for a full breakdown of our revenue, expenses, and program spending.
Full audited financials will be available by January 2027. Previous financials can be found here.
View Previous Financials
Additional and historical information related to outputs and outcomes in this report can be found here.
View Additional Information