Mississauga – Food insecurity in Mississauga has reached crisis levels, with a record-setting 503,705 visits to local food banks in the past year — a 20% increase from 2024, according to Food Banks Mississauga’s (FBM) 2025 Impact Report.
The alarming rise underscores what officials describe as a worsening “food insecurity emergency” in Canada’s seventh-largest city. Nearly three in ten food bank users are children, and almost 40% of visitors were first-time users this year — a sign that many families are struggling for the first time.
Despite the rising demand, FBM’s 2025 Thanksgiving Drive raised $848,513, slightly surpassing its $800,000 goal but falling short of keeping up with the surge in need.
“Mississauga continues to experience a growing food insecurity emergency,” said Meghan Nicholls, CEO of Food Banks Mississauga. “The relief we provide is much-needed but temporary. Life continues to be unaffordable as food, housing, and other essentials keep rising in cost.”
The organization revealed that 30% of food bank visitors are employed, illustrating how even working households are unable to make ends meet. Nicholls emphasized that underfunded social assistance programs and a lack of government prioritization are exacerbating the problem.
“It’s only thanks to our community’s support and generosity that we can continue providing food today while advocating for policy change for tomorrow,” she said.
Food Banks Mississauga operates through more than 60 partner agencies and food programs, serving 48,539 individuals in 2025 — each visiting an average of 10 times a year, double the number from four years ago.
With 90% of FBM’s funding coming from non-government sources, the organization continues to push for long-term policy solutions to address the root causes of hunger and affordability in the region.