Food Banks Mississauga launches 2026 Holiday Drive as demand soars

For millions of people around the world food still brings families together during these uncertain times.

The inviting aroma of a mother or father’s signature dish rising through a house is enough to make even the most difficult circumstances fade away for those cherished moments.

Rising costs for basic food items have put a damper on festive occasions, while the day-to-day challenge people face to feed their family is being felt across Peel.

Demand for support through Food Banks Mississauga has exploded in the last six years. (Food Banks Mississauga)

To help residents across the region, Food Banks Mississauga has launched its 2026 annual Holiday Drive, aiming to raise $3.3 million as food insecurity continues to affect thousands of residents across the city, including an increasing number of children and people with disabilities.

Sponsored by Walmart Canada, the campaign will run until January 8, with donations supporting the organization's network of more than 60 food programs across Mississauga.

Food Banks Mississauga hopes to raise $3.3 million during its annual Holiday campaign, as demand reaches the type of record levels no one wants to see. (Top, Food Banks Mississauga, bottom, Alexis Wright/The Pointer)

The campaign comes as the organization's recently released Annual Impact Report reveals that one in ten children in Mississauga relied on food banks last year with 32 percent of food bank visitors identifying as having a disability.

Last year, residents across Peel visited food programs 513,000 times, the highest number in the organization's 40-year history, representing a 444 percent increase compared to a decade ago, illustrating how food bank reliance has become a routine feature of life in their local community for more residents.

“Back in 2014, we were sharing about 1.4 million pounds of food to the community and feeding about 12,000 people. Now we're sharing close to 12 million pounds of food in the community and feeding over 43,000 people. It's just an astronomical increase in the community I think in the way that we've normalized the extreme poverty that's grown in our communities since the pandemic,” Meghan Nicholls, CEO of Food Banks Mississauga, told The Pointer in late September following the release of the impact report.

Nicholls said the growing reliance on food banks is no longer limited to people who are unemployed, with more working residents struggling to afford basic necessities.

“We're at the point where we have a larger proportion of people who are working using the Food bank than we've ever had before because even having a job now, sometimes more than one, isn't enough to protect people from falling into poverty.”

Mississauga has one of the most diverse populations of any city in the world and its central Food Bank organization has created one of the most culturally responsive food support programs anywhere, while organizations representing many of the city’s largest communities actively participate in program delivery for all residents. (Food Banks Mississauga)

She also pointed to the increasing financial pressure facing the organization itself. In 2020, Food Banks Mississauga operated with a budget of approximately $2.5 million, compared to the $9.5 million it needs to raise this year; it hopes to get a significant portion of this over the holiday season.

She described the dynamics faced by many her organization helps.

“35 percent of the people using food banks in Mississauga are on one of the two provincial social assistance programs. They're either receiving Ontario Works because they're out of a job or the Ontario Disability Support Program because they have a disability that means they can't work. And the rates for those programs are so far below the poverty line that those people have to use a food bank to get by. We need wages to reflect the actual cost of living in our community, which is over $27 an hour.” 

Rising grocery prices and incomes that have failed to keep pace are contributing to the growing demand, she added.

“It's the same grocery list. It's the same basket. And most people's incomes have not gone up by 30 percent in the last five years when food's gone up by 30 percent.”

The growing demand also reflects a shift in the role food banks are playing in the community.

“Food banks were built to help people who are going through a temporary tough time. And now food banks have become the answer to how we solve for poverty and food insecurity in our communities. This is not what we were built for. Food bank use should be sporadic, it should be episodic, it should be temporary for people who fall in a temporary tough time. But right now we have people coming every single month of the year because every single month of the year is an emergency for them because every single month their income doesn't match their expenses.” 

With the growing need, donations through the Holiday Drive can help extend the organization's purchasing power. For every dollar donated, Food Banks Mississauga can provide nearly $5 worth of food through bulk purchasing, food rescue efforts and community partnerships. 

“The holidays are a time when no one should have to worry about putting food on the table,” Erin Mackey, Manager Community Giving at Walmart Canada, said in a media release. “Food Banks Mississauga is there for our neighbours when they need it most, and we're proud to support this year's Holiday Drive and help feed families in our community.”

Unfortunately, Food Banks Mississauga has become a regular source of support for more and more residents who rely on it routinely. Despite this, sustained funding from governments has not matched the reality of around-the-clock program delivery. (Food Banks Mississauga)

Nicholls said donations help ensure food programs across the city can continue providing fresh and shelf-stable food to residents who need support. Ultimately, she said, addressing the growing reliance on food banks requires more than donations.

“What we really want is our governments to put programs in place that mean people don't need us, that they're not forced to rely on us.”

In the meantime, as the holidays draw closer, people can donate by visiting www.foodbanksmississauga.ca/holiday. 

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