Let’s Talk Food Bank Misconceptions

Food Banks Mississauga is often asked about how neighbours in need “qualify” for food bank services and how we and our network of 60+ agency members prevent “abuse” of the food bank. We understand these are genuine concerns from our community and there has been a rise in misinformation circulating on social media, so let’s take a moment to talk about it.

How food banks operate has changed a lot over the years to keep up with the skyrocketing need and food insecurity emergency that the city of Mississauga is facing. But what hasn’t changed is our fundamental belief that everyone deserves access to healthful food and necessities to live a full life, regardless of any aspect of their identity. We believe that food is a human right. 

Firstly, we want to say how much we appreciate the generosity of our donors. We are committed to stewarding every dollar with transparency and integrity to ensure every donation is used as intended to support our mission to realize a food-secure Mississauga by providing and promoting access to healthy and appropriate food.

We adhere to Feed Ontario and Food Banks Canada’s standards and uphold their Ethical Food Banking Code, ensuring consistent and respectful service for all. This operational excellence throughout the food banking network ensures everyone across our city, province, and country who needs access to healthy and appropriate food can feel confident and safe when accessing the support available to them at a food bank. We are here to provide support without unnecessary barriers, ensuring everyone across our city can access safe and nutritious food.

Let’s talk history…

Until 2016, Food Banks Mississauga conducted what is called “means testing” where intake workers would collect information on a food bank visitor’s income and expenses, and depending on how little was ‘left’, would determine if the visitor could receive service from the food bank. In all the years this process was conducted, only 1-3% of food bank visitors were NOT eligible for food bank support.

In order to reduce barriers to service or reasons why folks might not seek out the support of a food bank even if they were struggling, Food Banks Mississauga stopped this practice. We still collect income and expense information to provide demographic information to help us with advocacy and better meet client needs, but the information is not used to determine eligibility.

But what about those who “abuse” the food bank?

While we do not means test, we do ensure folks coming to a food bank understand who and what a food bank is for. When someone arrives at a food bank for the first time, there is standard information shared with them about what a food bank is (a charity funded by generous neighbours to make sure people living in poverty have access to food) and who it is for (those who do not have financial means to purchase food and are living in poverty), so that the person can decide if they want to utilize the services.

You might be wondering, “But why do I see people who don’t look like they’re living in poverty? I see them drive to the food bank. Why don’t they sell their car if they need money?” A vehicle might be the only way an individual can keep their job or it’s shared amongst the whole household to get to multiple jobs and school. Food bank visitors have also shared with us that they have kind neighbours who will drive them to the food bank or even lend them their vehicles.

This is just one example of how food banks are there for folks BEFORE they have to completely deplete all their savings and assets (like selling their car). We are here to support neighbours in need who may be on the brink of this depletion to ensure that they don’t fall further behind and end up in a place that is much tougher to climb out of.

We strongly believe that we must also change our focus to why our governments are satisfied to let people use charities to survive. Why is it acceptable to have people live in legislated poverty because social assistance rates and minimum wages are too low or because there hasn’t been appropriate investment in social and supportive housing? Why is it acceptable to force folks to use food banks to survive?

Trying to determine who is “worthy” of using a food bank will not reduce food insecurity and poverty, government action will.

Your generosity enables us to provide emergency food TODAY and we ask that you join us in calling on our government representatives for policies to reduce food bank use for TOMORROW.

As we collectively work together to build a Mississauga where everyone is food secure, Food Banks Mississauga is committed to stewarding every dollar with transparency and integrity to ensure every donation is used as intended to support our mission.