Statistics and Facts
Quick Facts
- More than 202,948 hampers have been distributed since the Food Bank began.
- 10,247 hampers worth $961,726 were distributed in 2009.
- About 789 people came as new clients in 2009.
- Referrals are not necessary.
- Almost six thousand (6000) unique individuals use the food bank every year; almost half are children under age 18.
- 30% of Food Bank users are single parents.
- On average, Partners in Mission Food Bank helps 800 households a month. This denotes 2866 active files annually.
- We do not receive government or agency funding.
- Approximately 22,000 lbs. of food is donated on a regular basis to area soup kitchens, shelters and hot meal programs.
- Every month area churches of all denominations fill food bags to donate to the Food Bank.
- Surplus food is recovered from area wholesalers, retailers and individuals.
- Community service groups and individuals regularly contribute funds and organize food drives on behalf of the Food Bank.
Challenges
Most of the challenges faced by the Food Bank are due to the current political atmosphere. Social supports and affordable housing continue to be reduced. There is a steady increase of working poor. Just over half of the recipients of food banks in Canada are children.
Provincial Association of Food Banks
The Food Bank is active in the Ontario Association of Food Banks and is also a member of the Canadian Association of Food Banks. These associations allow for many benefits such as learning how poverty is (or is not) being addressed in other areas. Among other things it also provides for corporate donations through the National Food Sharing System that salvages unusable retail stock that historically went to landfills.
Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph Health System
In June 2001, Partners In Mission Food Bank was brought under the umbrella of the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph Health System. This latter organization serves, in part, to assist each of the corporations sponsored by the RHSJs, to effectively carry out their responsibilities under Canon Law as ministries of the Church. It also assists each separately incorporated entity to address and maintain their corporate status.
