On Dec. 11, the Food Bank of Waterloo Region received a $756,000 increase in their funding from the Waterloo Region, totalling their funds to $1,500,000 instead of the requested $2,086,724.12.
The region approved the Food Bank’s request to increase its funding as part of the 2025 budget due to the escalating demand for emergency food assistance.
The increased funding will maintain and support emergency food assistance programs including food hampers, meals and other essential resources for individuals and families facing food insecurity in the Waterloo Region.
Kim Wilhelm, the chief executive officer of the Food Bank of Waterloo Region, said she has never seen such a rapid increase in demand for food assistance programs and the organization is in a crisis.
“People are accessing food assistance at alarming rates,” Wilhelm said. “The cost of living overall has never been higher, and people have to make possible choices every day, whether to put food in their stomachs or a house over their heads.”
The Food Bank of Waterloo Region plans to split the funding into six regionally based programs: Cambridge Food Bank, House of Friendship, Salvation Army Kitchener, The Working Centre, Wilmot Family Resource Centre and Woolwich Community Services.
The Food Bank of Waterloo Region will also retain 10 per cent of the funding to support food purchases.
“The funding is essential to meet the increasing demand for food assistance, which has seen a significant rise in recent years,” said James.
She also said that the funding would provide a long-term solution to ensure the Food Bank can continue meeting the current and future demand for food assistance, ensuring that no one in the community goes hungry.
This year, The Food Bank of Waterloo Region noticed a rapid increase of people using emergency food assistance programs, with approximately 558,545 visits made to a hamper program in the past year, a 24 per cent increase over the previous year.
The demand for food support continues to rise, with no signs of slowing down. In October alone, 25,000 individuals accessed emergency food support, making an all-time high for the organization.
Colleen James, a Waterloo Regional councillor representing Kitchener, said that out of those 558,545 food hamper visits, 8,465 households were accessing food assistance services for the first time, a 12 per cent increase compared to last year.
She also said the Community Food Assistance Network distributed 8.9 million pounds of fresh, frozen and non-perishable food to partner organizations, such as the House of Friendship and Cambridge Food Bank.
She says the demand rapidly increased over the past year and expressed difficulties keeping up with the increasing demand for food assistance programs.
James explained that Waterloo Region’s food insecurity is a complex issue influenced by various factors, including economic challenges such as unemployment, underemployment, and low wages make significant contributors. Many families and individuals struggle to afford necessities due to insufficient income.
Other contributing factors include rising living costs, including housing, utilities and healthcare.
“Inflation plays a role, as it increases the cost of food and other essential goods, making it harder for people to afford nutritious meals,” James said.
Unexpected expenses, such as medical bills or car repairs, can also strain tight budgets.
James said that addressing food security within the region requires a multi-faceted approach, including increased funding for emergency food assistance, community support, and collaboration among local organizations.
They also require sustainable funding models, public awareness campaigns, and policy changes to address the root causes of food insecurity.
“I think that the next two to five years, at minimum, are going to be challenging,” said Wilhelm. “I don’t have a crystal ball to tell me what the future has in store for us, but I hope we can all do something together to address this problem.”
Graphic by Bronte Behling. Graphic data taken from The Food Bank of Waterloo Region. Data represents the time period between July 1, 2024 and Sept. 30, 2024.
