Mississauga’s main food bank opens in larger space as use rises by 60%

As usage reaches record highs, The Mississauga Food Bank announced its move to a new, larger location.

The Mississauga Food Bank announced today (April 3) they have moved into the new location at 4544 Eastgate Pkwy.

The new, larger space is more than 43,000 square feet, according to a press release from The Mississauga Food Bank. The previous location on Universal Drive was about 21,000 square feet. The food bank was renting additional storage space to meet community needs.

The cold storage will increase by 300 per cent, the food bank said. The larger space will help provide more fresh and frozen food to the community and keep programs running smoothly.

The move to the larger location comes at a time when food bank use has risen by almost 60 per cent since 2019 and is only continuing to rise, the food bank notes.

“The Mississauga Food Bank has long outgrown our previous facility,” says Meghan Nicholls, CEO of The Mississauga Food Bank. “We had an urgent requirement to move to keep up with the increased demand for emergency food across our city.”

The Mississauga Food Bank continues to see record-breaking numbers of food bank clients every month. In February, they saw the highest number of food bank users ever in the history of The Mississauga Food Bank, with 13,850 users.

This is a 44 per cent increase year over year.

Today's the big day! 🎉 We've moved into our new home at 4544 Eastgate Pkwy! Get a sneak peek of it in this month's Meghan Minute, learn more about our free income tax filing clinic, and hear how your support of our Spring Drive is already positively impacting neighbours. pic.twitter.com/SsEJBocD7t

— Food Banks Mississauga (@FoodBanksMissi) April 3, 2023

The search for the new location took several months and staff members and volunteers worked hard on the move.

“Our team of staff and volunteers have been working tirelessly to prepare for the relocation, and I am grateful to each of them for making sure our move is seamless, with minimal disruption to the services we provide,” says Nicholls.

“I also want to thank our dedicated supporters who have been by our side during this move and for supporting us as we continue to provide healthy and appropriate food to neighbours in need.”

The Mississauga Food Bank is the central food bank in Mississauga, leading a network of over 50 agencies including neighbourhood food banks, pantries, and meal and snack programs to distribute food for over five million meals each year to vulnerable children, seniors, families, and neighbours in Mississauga.

For more information and to donate, visit https://www.themississaugafoodbank.org/donate-today

1. The Mississauga Food Bank