Learn more about how The Compass Food Bank engages in addressing systemic issues that lead to food insecurity and homelessness.
By Don Macaulay
At The Compass Food Bank & Outreach Centre, we are best known as a food bank serving the south Mississauga community, but we are so much more than that. Our motto, Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow, reflects not just our commitment to immediate food relief, but also our deep belief in supporting long-term, positive change for individuals and families experiencing poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness.
Our Client Services team works daily with individuals facing complex challenges such as housing insecurity, mental health concerns, addiction, unemployment, and navigating government systems like OW and ODSP. In partnership with trusted outside agencies, we offer practical and emotional support to help people stabilize their lives and move forward with dignity.
While we have previously engaged with provincial and federal systems to push for policy change, we now focus our advocacy more locally where we believe we can have the most immediate impact. Working closely with our two local councillors, we speak up for the rights of our community members, especially those experiencing homelessness or struggling to make ends meet in one of Canada’s wealthiest cities.
Mississauga’s prosperity comes with a high cost of living, especially for housing and food. This financial pressure increasingly affects working individuals and families, pushing many toward food insecurity. For others, it results in homelessness. Unfortunately, those without housing are too often viewed as lazy, dangerous, or beyond help. We reject these harmful stereotypes. Behind every person experiencing homelessness is a story, often shaped by trauma, health issues, or economic hardship. We believe that everyone deserves to be treated with compassion, respect, and dignity.
Advocacy at The Compass isn’t just about words, it’s about presence and participation. We work to shift public attitudes through education, storytelling, and visibility. Our team participates in several major local events such as Port Credit Buskerfest, CabinFest, and other community gatherings. Our signature event, Walk The Walk for The Compass, raises both vital funds and awareness, helping people understand the realities of poverty and homelessness in our own neighbourhoods.
Through it all, we remain committed to being a place of welcome and support, where people can access not only food and services, but also the hope that things can get better.
As a community we can use our voice and vote to support those in need in south Mississauga and beyond.
At The Compass we seek to advocate for long-term structural solutions and systemic change to reduce poverty. We believe that everyone deserves the secure foundation of a permanent home and everyone deserves to feed themselves and their family with dignity. Our reputation and community connections position The Compass to advocate for short and long term change for our clients.
The Compass is combining their voice with Food Banks Mississauga as we align with the core issues identified in their “The Face of Hunger in Mississauga Annual Report 2023”. This report outlines the top issues facing people with food insecurity and provides a common platform for our advocacy initiatives.
At The Compass, we believe in advocating for our community members’ essential needs and rights. We focus on addressing critical issues such as limited social assistance programs, lack of affordable housing, and the necessity of a strong and supportive workforce.
We aim to raise awareness and drive policy changes that ensure everyone has access to the resources they need to live with dignity and security.
Please explore our core issues and how you can get involved here.
Join The Compass Advocacy Team made up of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds.
Contact us at advocacy@thecompass.ca with your name, contact information, and why you want to join the team!
Prime Minister Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney)
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development – The Honourable Jenna Sudds at edsc.min.feds-fcsd.min.esdc@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
Premier Doug Ford (@FordNation),
Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, Hon Michael Parsa at ministermccss@ontario.ca
Parliamentary Assistant for Community and Social Services, Logan Kanapathi at Logan.Kanapathico@pc.ola.org
The Mayor of Mississauga: Carolyn Parrish at mayor@mississauga.ca
Discover ways you can support.
Support the increase of the Canadian Disability Benefit to promote financial stability & dignity for all Canadians on disability.
Your voice is important as we advocate for the homeless and affordable housing.
Annual Impact Report 2023. Food Banks Mississauga (Previously The Mississauga Food Bank).
Hunger Report 2023. Feed Ontario.
What Can be Done to Reduce Food Insecurity in Canada? PROOF, research program.
The Face of Hunger in Using the power of data to help in the fight against hunger. Link2feed and Food Banks Canada.
HungerCount 2024 – Buckling Under the Strain. Food Banks Canada.
Homeless Hub. Canadian Observatory on Homelessness.
The National Housing Strategy Report. The National Housing Council.
Responding to Youth Homelessness During Covid and Beyond. Canadian Observatory on Homelessness.
Rent Control in Ontario – Facts, Flaws and Fixes. Canadian Centre for Polica Alternatives
Peel’s Community Safety and Well-Being Plan 2020-2024. Peel Region.
Everyone Counts Peel: 2021 Community Report. Peel Region.
South Asian Canadian Health Journal. South Asian Canadian Health & Social Services.
We are a food bank and community outreach centre located in and serving South Mississauga within the postal codes L5E, L5G, L5H and L5J.
