Mississauga food bank served nearly 13,000 children in 2025

Seva Food Bank in Mississauga reported serving nearly 13,000 children last year amid rising food insecurity across all demographics in the region.

The food bank, led by the local Sikh community and serving people in Malton and Cooksville, documented 46,373 total clients in 2025, with children representing about 28 percent of that number. Vipin Saini, the food bank's executive director, described current economic circumstances as "incredibly trying times," pointing to rising rents, stagnant wages, and growing precarity among newcomers and seniors.

"We are seeing more and more people struggling with the day to day," Saini said. "We're not just talking about newcomers. We are talking about folks with jobs, people who work in the gig economy and who may have multiple jobs. We're seeing seniors, lots of seniors. And we're seeing young people as well. It's across the board."

Across its two locations, the food bank provided more than 1 million kilograms of culturally appropriate food during the year. Meghan Nicholls, CEO of Food Banks Mississauga, said the pattern of need has shifted dramatically. People used to visit a food bank three or four times a year during an emergency, but now they're visiting 11 or 12 times annually because every month has become a financial emergency. Nicholls noted that food for a family of four is now expected to cost over $17,000 a year, but the average income for a family using a food bank in Mississauga is $24,000 a year.