250,000 meals put on the table for people in need thanks to huge donation in Mississauga
Published April 10, 2024 at 11:47 am
The largest-ever donation to Mississauga’s main food bank from the religious community will provide 250,000 meals for people in need in Canada’s seventh-largest city.
Food Banks Mississauga officials said in a news release on Tuesday they’ve entered into a five-year partnership with the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community of Mississauga in efforts to help fight the fast-growing problem of food insecurity.
The partnership was announced this week in tandem with the record-setting donation of funds that will put quarter of a million meals on the table in Mississauga.
Officials at FBM, which heads up a network of more than 65 community agencies across the city, said the “significant contribution” is part of Project Rise, a global initiative established by the Dawoodi Bohra community to improve the lives of the less fortunate.
It’s the largest gift FBM has ever received from a religious community, officials noted, adding it was presented to the charitable agency at an event earlier this week in the GTA at which the partnership was launched.
“Thank you to the Dawoodi Bohra community for their generosity in supporting neighbours living with food insecurity across Mississauga,” FBM CEO Meghan Nicholls said in the news release. “In March, we served a record-breaking 19,342 food bank users, the highest in our history and a 20 per cent increase from last year. There is no indication that this growing, urgent need in our city will slow down and we are grateful to have partners like the Dawoodi Bohras by our side who recognize the scale of the challenge.”
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Behlah Ayman, president of the Mississauga Dawoodi Bohra community, said fighting food insecurity has long been a priority of the group’s global community. The group has set up community kitchens around the world to help provide food for families in need.
“This support for Food Banks Mississauga reflects the values and commitment of the Dawoodi Bohra community to ensure nobody goes to bed hungry,” said Ayman. “Through this sustained program, we will strive to alleviate hunger and foster a more equitable and healthier future for all.”
The Dawoodi Bohra community in Mississauga is comprised of more than 650 families and has been an integral part of the city for decades, the group said.
FBM is nearing the end of its annual Spring Drive, which was launched on March 8 and concludes April 30. The organization hopes to raise $800,000.
According to FBM, it provides through its vast network of agencies healthy and appropriate food for almost six million meals each year for people having trouble putting enough food on the table. That number is expected to grow to eight million this year.
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