Compass Food Bank and Outreach Centre

What Compass Food Bank and Outreach Centre does

Compass Food Bank and Outreach Centre (legally Lakeshore Community Outreach Centre Inc) is a registered Canadian charity founded in 2002 and headquartered at 427 Lakeshore Rd East in Mississauga, Ontario. It operates a community food bank and outreach centre serving residents of four south Mississauga postal codes (L5E, L5G, L5H, L5J). Its core service is a weekly grocery distribution program offering a client-choice model with dietary options (vegetarian, halal, gluten-free, lactose-free, diabetic-friendly), supported by The Compass Kitchen which serves free sit-down and takeout meals Monday through Friday. The organization operates with only 10 staff members but is powered by 453 active volunteers who contributed 46,719 hours in 2025, and is embedded in a partner network of 15 Christian churches plus agency partners (Region of Peel, PAARC, WellFort, Family Services of Peel, Community Food Centres Canada, Food Banks Mississauga, Food Banks Canada).

The Compass runs a diversified revenue model built on individual monetary donations, a tiered monthly giving program (Nourishing Circle: $25/$50/$100/$250), securities donations, legacy gifts, in-kind food donations, the annual Walk the Walk community fundraiser, and grants from bodies including the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Reported 2025 outputs include 42,222 client visits, 954,958 lbs of food distributed, 84,381 meals served, 1,075 Christmas Campaign households, and 486 income tax returns prepared. It has been recognized by Charity Intelligence as a Top 100 Canadian Charity for six consecutive years and a Top 10 Impact Canadian Food Bank in 2024.

Beyond food, the organization delivers wraparound services including housing support referrals, ID replacement clinics, legal services, harm reduction, addiction referrals, employment assistance, and seasonal programs (children's summer camp, back-to-school supplies, winter support, Christmas campaign). It is expanding into adjacent verticals through a housing partnership with Indwell (50 units of supportive housing in Clarkson) and a new Compass Culinary Academy. In November 2025, Trish Trapani was appointed as the organization's first Executive Director to manage growth.

Name

Compass Food Bank and Outreach Centre

Legal name

Lakeshore Community Outreach Centre Inc

Website

https://thecompass.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Compass Food Bank and Outreach Centre is a Mississauga-based registered charity founded in 2002 that provides weekly grocery distribution, community meals, and wraparound support services to food-insecure residents across four south Mississauga postal codes, powered by 10 staff and over 450 active volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Bank and Community Outreach Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

Keywords

• Food bank services
• Community meal programs
• Food assistance charity
• Wraparound support services
• Volunteer-driven outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Mississauga

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Monetary Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting food assistance programs. Receipts provided for donations of $20 or more.
2. Monthly Giving (Nourishing Circle): Recurring monthly donations providing stable, predictable funding for food bank operations. Four membership tiers from $25 to $250 monthly.
3. Securities Donations: Donations of publicly traded securities eliminate capital gains tax, providing full fair-market value to the charity.
4. Legacy Gifts: Bequests and legacy gifts in wills supporting long-term food security for future generations.
5. Food Donations: Non-perishable and surplus food donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations.
6. Fundraising Events: Annual Walk the Walk event and community fundraisers raising funds for food assistance.
7. Government and Foundation Grants: Funding from Ontario Trillium Foundation and other grants supporting operations and infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Compass Food Bank and Outreach Centre operates a weekly grocery distribution program and a free community kitchen serving food-insecure residents of south Mississauga (postal codes L5E, L5G, L5H, L5J). It supplements food access with wraparound support services including housing, ID replacement, legal, health, and addiction referrals, plus seasonal programs (summer camp, back-to-school, winter support, Christmas campaign). All services to clients are free of charge and funded through donations, monthly giving, grants, and fundraising events.

Product overview

The Compass Food Bank and Outreach Centre offers a single unified service portfolio centered on food security and community support for south Mississauga residents. The core offering is weekly grocery distribution (The Food Bank), complemented by The Compass Kitchen community meal program. Beyond food, the organization provides wraparound support through client services (housing, ID, legal, health referrals), community programs (Men's Group, Women's Group, Refresh, Films and Fellowship), and seasonal offerings (Summer Camp, Back to School, Winter Support, Christmas Campaign). Funding programs include the Nourishing Circle monthly giving, one-time donations, securities donations, and legacy gifts. The organization also runs the annual Walk the Walk fundraiser and facilitates community food drives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Bank / Grocery Distribution Weekly grocery distribution service providing free food hampers including cereal, rice, pasta, canned goods, produce, dairy, protein, and household essentials. Clients order online or by phone and pick up groceries at the Mississauga location. Available to residents of south Mississauga in postal codes L5E, L5G, L5H, and L5J.
• The Compass Kitchen

Quantifiable outcome

• 954,958 lbs of food distributed in 2025
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Food Banks MississaugacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Food Banks Mississauga agency network, coordinating food distribution and accessing shared resources across Mississauga
• Food Banks CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational food bank network member providing resources, research, and advocacy support
• Mississauga Board of TradesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal business organization supporting community initiatives and corporate engagement
• Region of PeelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government providing housing support workers, social services coordination, and community resources
• City of MississaugasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government supporting community services and advocacy initiatives
• PAARC (Peel Addiction Assessment and Referral Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn-site addiction assessment and referral services for clients; 160+ interactions in 2025
• Family Services of PeelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployment assistance, job search strategies, and interview support on-site; 101 interactions in 2025
• WellFort Community HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn-site nursing services, harm reduction clinic, and Hepatitis C testing/treatment; operates Bloom Clinic every 2nd and 4th Wednesday
• Regen BramptonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerID Clinic services helping clients replace birth certificates, citizenship cards, and permanent resident cards; operates first Thursday of each month
• SHIP (Services & Housing in the Province)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing support for people with mental health and addiction issues; 156 interactions in 2025
• IndwellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit housing provider building 50 units of supportive housing in Clarkson; partnership for advocacy and community support
• Partner Churches (15 churches)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner15 Christian churches including Christ First United Church, St. Christopher's Catholic Church, ClearView Christian Reformed Church, and others providing volunteers, food drives, financial support, and community meals
• Community Food Centres CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization recognizing The Compass as a Good Food Organization meeting healthy food access standards

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Others

• Indwell: Non-profit supportive housing provider partnering with Compass on advocacy and a 50-unit Clarkson build; adjacent nonprofit with overlapping client base rather than a direct food bank peer.

Direct peers

• Food Banks Mississauga: Mississauga food bank network of which Compass is a member agency; directly comparable mission and exact same service geography.
• North York Harvest Food Bank: Toronto-area food bank distributing through member agencies with a client-choice ethos; directly comparable operating model.
• Second Harvest Food Rescue: Canada's largest food rescue organization redirecting surplus food to nonprofits including food banks; directly comparable operating model and Toronto-area footprint.
• Feed Ontario: Provincial association of Ontario food banks providing coordination, advocacy, and resources; comparable in mandate and a known partner of Compass.
• Daily Bread Food Bank: Toronto-area food bank operating a client-choice model and distributing food through member agencies; directly comparable to Compass in mission, model, and GTA geography.
• Seva Food Bank: Peel-region food bank serving vulnerable families; directly comparable GTA-area community food bank and a known prior employer of Compass staff.

Regional players

• Ottawa Food Bank: Large Ontario food bank with a comparable client-choice and member-agency model; comparable in mandate but operates in a different region (Ottawa vs. Mississauga).

Broad incumbents

• Food Banks Canada: National umbrella organization for Canadian food banks providing advocacy, research, and supply-chain coordination; broader incumbent role rather than a direct operator, and a Compass partner.

Emerging players

• Community Food Centres Canada: National nonprofit supporting Good Food Organizations and food-centred community programs; Compass holds its Good Food Organization badge and is comparable in mission focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/compassfoodbank
• Facebookfacebook.com/CompassFoodBank
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-compass-food-bank-outreach-centre
• Instagraminstagram.com/compassfoodbank
• TikToktiktok.com/@compassfoodbank

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Compass Food Bank and Outreach Centre