
In September 1989 the Eden United Church Outreach Committee took the initiative to establish a facility in North West Mississauga that could provide assistance to people who were in an emergency situation due to unforeseen circumstances, such as layoffs, sudden disabilities or unexpected bills. We first opened our doors on Monday April 9, 1990, as an outlet of Foodpath. Initially there were only 5 families a week utilizing our services, but as more agencies and people became aware of our service, the number of families served escalated rapidly.
To facilitate meeting the needs of our clients, Eden Food Bank was incorporated as a non-profit charity on January 11, 2002, with a Board of up to 10 Directors from the community.
Usage of the food bank continues to rise. We have provided emergency food to:
| Month |
# Families |
# People |
# New Families |
# KG |
| Jan 2006 |
238 |
724 |
24 |
6,798 |
| Feb 2006 |
251 |
766 |
33 |
7,375 |
| March 2006 |
266 |
814 |
29 |
7,713 |
| Apr 2006 |
221 |
673 |
15 |
6,273 |
| May 2006 |
237 |
713 |
20 |
6,811 |
| June 2006 |
261 |
758 |
10 |
7,729 |
| July 2006 |
250 |
763 |
17 |
7,315 |
| Aug 2006 |
270 |
804 |
26 |
7,963 |
| Sept 2006 |
242 |
719 |
15 |
7,114 |
| Oct 2006 |
262 |
821 |
23 |
8,034 |
| Nov 2006 |
301 |
943 |
22 |
9,154 |
| Dec 2006 |
465 |
1,414 |
22 |
14,585 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Jan 2007 |
230 |
739 |
16 |
7,082 |
| Feb 2007 |
219 |
720 |
14 |
7,207 |
| Mar 2007 |
271 |
873 |
25 |
8,290 |
| Apr 2007 |
263 |
868 |
24 |
8,704 |
| May 2007 |
257 |
836 |
15 |
8,081 |
| June 2007 |
238 |
806 |
16 |
7,245 |
| July 2007 |
260 |
814 |
22 |
8,622 |
| August 2007 |
239 |
746 |
19 |
7,699 |
| Sept 2007 |
203 |
667 |
13 |
5,701 |
| October 2007 |
217 |
730 |
15 |
6,870 |
| Nov 2007 |
272 |
898 |
30 |
7,987 |
| December 2007 |
443 |
1444 |
15 |
8,979 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| January 2008 |
233 |
762 |
25 |
7,139 |
| Feb 2008 |
224 |
721 |
14 |
6,267 |
| March 2008 |
240 |
762 |
19 |
7,325 |
| Apr 2008 |
238 |
817 |
25 |
7,545 |
| May 2008 |
235 |
787 |
20 |
6,763 |
| June 2008 |
250 |
824 |
21 |
6,965 |
| July 2008 |
222 |
732 |
13 |
6,772 |
| August 2008 |
212 |
655 |
24 |
6,107 |
| September 2008 |
240 |
795 |
23 |
7,239 |
| October 2008 |
248 |
831 |
39 |
7,133 |
2008 Profile of Hunger in Peel and the GTA
Each February and March, Daily Bread conducts an annual survey of food recipients in about 45 member agencies and the following are profiles gathered from the 2008 survey:
| Key Statistics for Peel |
| Scope of Hunger |
Peel |
GTA |
| % that have used food banks for more than 1 year |
39% |
44% |
| % of children who go hungry at least once a week |
12% |
13% |
| % of adults who go hungry at least once per week |
27% |
33% |
Hunger: The Cost of Living
Median Monthly Household Income |
$1,200 |
$967 |
| Median Market Value Rent Paid |
$988 |
$765 |
| % of income spent on rent (market rent only) |
82% |
77% |
| % who live in subsidized housing |
20% |
28% |
| % who receive Ontario Works |
36% |
52% |
| Median Market Value Rent Paid |
$988 |
$765 |
Children
% of clients who are children |
46% |
34% |
| % of households who are caring for children |
69% |
40% |
% of those who have been prevented from working
due to cost and/or access to children |
43% |
44% |
Working Poor
% of households who have at least one person working |
45% |
28% |
| % earning between $8.25 and $10.00 per hour |
29% |
36% |
| Median hours of work per week |
36 |
25 |
People with disabilities
% who have disability or illness |
27% |
47% |
| % of clients receiving ODSP or CPP-D |
42% |
52% |
Immigrants
% born outside Canada |
57% |
46% |
Advocacy
At Eden Food Bank we realize that the issues facing our clients are much larger than just the need for food.
Our amazing team of trained, volunteer advocates are available 3x week to offer support to our clients in the form of referrals, information, advice, and even just to talk! The advocacy program's goal is to empower our clients to ultimately become less dependent on the food bank.
Depending on the client's needs, advocates can provide information and referrals for such issues as:
| Employment Search |
Employment Insurance |
| Housing and housing-related issues |
Violence and Abuse |
| Newcomer Settlement |
Prenatal Care |
| ESL Classes |
Child Welfare |
| Community Legal Clinics |
Clothing |
| Ontario Works |
Furniture |
| Ontario Disability Support Program |
Health |
Every new, first-time client will meet with an advocate, however, if you have any questions or require any assistance, you can ask to speak with an advocate at any time.
Last Updated November 03, 2008 |
© 2007 Eden Food Bank |
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