REGINA, Sask. — The community is once again being challenged to turn generosity into one million meals for people facing food insecurity.
The Regina Food Bank and Mosaic will launch the 2026 Mosaic Million Meal Challenge Monday from 10 to 10:45 a.m. at the BMO Asahtowikamik Community Food Hub at 1881 Broad St., with a goal of raising $400,000 to provide the equivalent of one million meals in the community.
The challenge originally launched on Oct. 2, 2020, as a response to skyrocketing food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mosaic is contributing $75,000 in matching funds, making the campaign one of the city's largest annual efforts to support the food bank.
The month-long campaign brings together businesses, schools, families and community members to provide small acts of generosity that can add up to something enormous.
The need is substantial. The Regina Food Bank says it supported 22,638 individuals through 67,529 household visits in 2024-25, distributing 93,412 hampers and 3.8 million pounds of food. The organization provided the equivalent of 4.1 million meals during the year.
The food bank says demand has grown sharply, with usage increasing 259 per cent over six years. It also says 22 per cent of Regina residents may not have full access to food.
The campaign comes as the food bank continues changing how it serves people. Its BMO Asahtowikamik Community Food Hub operates like a grocery store, allowing clients to choose the food that fits their family's needs, culture and health rather than receiving a predetermined assortment.
The word asahtowikamik means “feeding lodge” in Cree. The name was gifted to the food bank by Elder Murray Ironchild of Piapot First Nation, reflecting the idea that sharing food also strengthens relationships and community.
That spirit is at the centre of the Million Meal Challenge, which has already become a major annual tradition. In the campaign's first five years, Regina residents helped raise more than 6.2 million meals.
The food bank's message this year is captured in the campaign's theme: “One community. One million reasons to give.”
The challenge is not simply about filling shelves. It is about ensuring people can sit down to a meal with dignity, choice and the knowledge that their community has not forgotten them.
