MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Paramount Fine Foods CEO Mohamad Fakih and Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie announced the #MississaugaChallenge last week to raise funds for The Mississauga Food Bank during the COVID-19 crisis.
Fakih, who tweeted about the campaign, has pledged $1 for every retweet (up to a total of $10,000) and asked those who are able to make a donation to feed their hungry neighbours.
The Mississauga Food Bank requires $840,000 to provide food to the growing number of families who require emergency support during this crisis — $360,000 more than anticipated.
“So much about our daily lives has changed. For some of us, it’s an inconvenience. But for others, it’s a crisis. There are more [people] who rely on the food banks, but the food banks rely on us, the people of Mississauga. If we have the means, we have to dig deep and give,” says Fakih.
The city has already seen a 10-per-cent increase in food-bank use. “Combined with decreasing food donations, it’s a challenging time for the food bank,” says Meghan Nicholls, executive director, The Mississauga Food Bank. “I’m humbled by this outpouring of generosity and thankful for leaders like Mohamad and Mayor Crombie, who are working to ensure the residents of their home city are taken care of.”
This campaign follows the success of similar initiatives in Calgary and Ottawa, where business leaders joined forces with mayors to raise funds for food banks. Arlene Dickinson (Dragon’s Den, District Ventures Capital) helped raise more than $210,000 for Calgary Food Bank and Harley Finkelstein (Shopify) launched a campaign that raised more than $170,000 for Ottawa Food Bank.
“We know many people are struggling to make ends meet and are relying on food banks now more than ever,” says Crombie. “Emergency situations like these put additional stress on already tight budgets. Our food bank needs the love and support of our community in these unprecedented times. Mohamad is known for his kindness and generosity and I thank him for leading this call to action. I’m asking our residents to help by retweeting or donating. Let’s work to make our city a better place and ensure that no one gets left behind.”
Donations can be made at themississaugafoodbank.org, by phone at 905-270-5589 or by mail at 3121 Universal Dr., Mississauga, L4X 2E2.
