The hallways of Mississauga’s public schools will soon fall silent as summer vacation begins, but for approximately 16,000 children across the city, the end of classes means something far more concerning – the end of reliable daily meals.
I spent Tuesday morning at a bustling elementary school in Malton where breakfast program volunteers were preparing for their final week of service. In the corner of the cafeteria, Diane Macdonald, a program coordinator, was already worried about July and August.
“These kids count on us,” she said, gesturing toward the lineup of students waiting for their morning meal. “For some, this is their only guaranteed nutrition for the day. Summer creates this massive gap that families somehow have to bridge.”
The Mississauga Food Bank has sounded the alarm about what they’re calling a “summer meal crisis” that will affect thousands of school-aged children when school nutrition programs close for the two-month break. These programs, which provide breakfast, lunch, or snacks to students during the academic year, leave a critical service void during summer months.
“We’re seeing record-high food bank usage already,” explained Meghan Nicholls, CEO of The Mississauga Food Bank, during an interview at their Wolfedale Road facility. “Last year, we served over 33,000 unique individuals monthly – a 62% increase from pre-pandemic levels. But summer brings special challenges for families with children.”
According to Food Banks Canada’s HungerCount 2022 report, nearly 33% of food bank users nationwide are children, despite children making up only about 20% of the general population. In Mississauga specifically, the situation mirrors these concerning national trends.
The problem intensifies during summer months when household grocery bills can increase by $300-$400 per month for families with children who normally receive meals at school. For families already stretching every dollar, this additional expense often proves impossible to absorb.
“People don’t realize how many families are living right on the edge,” said Councillor Carolyn Parrish, whose ward includes neighbourhoods with some of the highest food insecurity rates. “One unexpected expense – a car repair, a dental emergency – and suddenly putting food on the table becomes the negotiable part of their budget.”
The geography of hunger in Mississauga shows clear patterns. Neighbourhoods in the city’s northeast corner and parts of central Mississauga experience disproportionate rates of food insecurity. These same areas typically have higher percentages of newcomer families, single-parent households, and residents working multiple jobs to make ends meet.
At Peel District School Board, nutrition programs operate in 88 schools, providing over 2.2 million meals and snacks annually. When these programs pause for summer, the nutritional safety net disappears.
“Children’s nutritional needs don’t take summer vacation,” said Dr. Maria Waseem, a pediatrician at Credit Valley Hospital who regularly sees the health impacts of inconsistent nutrition. “Proper nutrition is critical for brain development, immune function, and overall growth. Missing meals creates both immediate and long-term consequences.”
The Mississauga Food Bank is attempting to fill this gap through its network of neighborhood food banks and agencies, but capacity constraints mean they cannot fully replace the efficiency of school-based programs.
“Schools provide the perfect infrastructure for reaching children,” Nicholls explained. “When that infrastructure isn’t available, getting food to the kids who need it becomes much more challenging and resource-intensive.”
Some community organizations are stepping up with summer programming. The Boys and Girls Club of Peel offers summer camps that include meals, while Seva Food Bank has expanded its family food box program specifically for households with school-aged children.
Local parent Jasmine Torres, whose three children attend a school with a breakfast program in Cooksville, told me she’s already adjusting her budget for the summer months.
“During the school year, I know my kids get a good breakfast before classes start,” Torres said while waiting at a neighborhood food bank. “That means I can stretch our grocery money further. Summer means I somehow need to find an extra $200 a month we don’t have.”
The situation highlights the growing gap between income and cost of living in Mississauga. According to Statistics Canada, food prices in Ontario have risen 20.3% over the past three years, while many wages have remained stagnant. The median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Mississauga now exceeds $2,200 monthly, consuming more than half of many families’ income.
Municipal and regional governments have limited jurisdiction over broader social supports, leaving local food security organizations to manage increasing demand with constrained resources.
“We need more sustainable solutions,” said Rati Kashyap, community advocate and volunteer at Mississauga’s Daily Bread Food Bank. “Emergency food assistance was never meant to be permanent infrastructure, but it’s becoming that by default.”
For immediate relief, The Mississauga Food Bank has launched a summer campaign aiming to provide 150,000 additional meals during July and August. They’re encouraging community members to donate funds, food, or time to help bridge the summer meal gap.
Meanwhile, some educators are questioning why school nutrition programs aren’t extended year-round. Ontario’s Student Nutrition Program receives provincial funding but operates only during the academic year, unlike some American models that continue meal service throughout summer months.
“The need doesn’t disappear when school ends,” said Michael Fernandes, a vice-principal at a Mississauga middle school. “If anything, it intensifies because families lose not just the meals but the structure and support that schools provide.”
As another school year concludes, Mississauga faces a familiar but growing challenge. For 16,000 children, summer vacation brings uncertainty about where their next meal will come from – a stark reality in one of Canada’s wealthiest cities.
“We shouldn’t accept child hunger as inevitable,” Nicholls emphasized as we concluded our conversation. “Not in Mississauga, not anywhere.”
