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EXECUTIVE MESSAGE

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Letter from Kim

To you, our loyal supporters,  

I truly consider you a valued partner in the work we do each day.  

Your generous gifts help us buy food that we can then distribute to hungry people living in communities across Waterloo region.  

You are a valued partner, along with more than 120 community programs and agency partners we work with through the Community Assistance Network. Without you, without these partners, none of the food we collect and buy could get to the people who need it! 

This newsletter features stories about your incredible generosity in action.

I want to extend a big, huge, gigantic THANK YOU on behalf of each of our partner agencies… along with the many thousands of people they serve each week. They see first-hand the impact that a simple food hamper can have on the health and well-being of people struggling through rough times. They see the smiles and the relief and the hope on people’s faces, knowing they have support, knowing they have somewhere to go for help. 

Thank you for giving people hope. Thank you for giving people a place to go when life is rough, and times are tough. I am truly grateful.  

Yours very truly, 

Kim Wilhelm 

Interim CEO

The Food Bank of Waterloo Region

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You’re helping people through the rough patches. 

Through his former work as a youth social worker, Richard was well aware of the many resources available in our community. Or at least, he thought he was.  

But, it wasn’t until Richard found himself in need of emergency food assistance that he realized just how much help the Community Food Assistance Network really offers. 

He says, “It started with an unpleasant separation. I was diagnosed with PTSD and severe anxiety, along with crippling depression. I was denied long-term disability through my employer at the time, and thrown into the social services arena. I applied for Ontario Works and was immediately introduced to the emergency food assistance program.” 

Richard accessed the Community Food Assistance Network until he was approved for disability support. With support, he began to heal and feel better, and chose to take a Public Relations diploma program at Conestoga College. While attending school, he was relieved that he would once again have access to food assistance through the Student Nutritional Access Program (SNAP) at Conestoga College. With your generosity, The Food Bank of Waterloo Region provides support to SNAP and more than 120 other programs across our region. 

Richard graduated with honours and is now the owner and operator of a small public relations business!  

As a father of two children full-time and three children part-time, Richard can’t express enough just how grateful he was to access fresh, nutritious food, while going through a rough patch in his life.  

“Quite simply, as an adult student and father… without your services, I don’t know where I or my children would be.” — Richard 

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Full Bellies. Happy Hearts. 

How you’re giving children access to nutritious food — all year round.

Many children look forward to a break from school during the summer months. Sadly, some kids in our community view summer as a time of uncertainty and worry.  

School offers a safety net for these kids—a place where they can depend on routines and get consistent breakfasts, lunches, and snacks. Summer vacation means even more kids break from the familiar routines of school.

We now see 1 in 14 households accessing emergency food assistance while it was just 1 in 20 households last year. That means even more kids need fresh, nutritious food.  

Your incredible support of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region provides food and snacks over the summer to children and families who depend on school food programs throughout the year. 

Every summer, we run the Full Bellies. Happy Hearts. campaign to help hungry kids in our community. This year you can help us raise one and a half million meals for kids in need. You’ll help ensure hungry children have enough food to eat this summer. Hunger doesn’t take a holiday.

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The need is greater than ever!

You may have read Richard’s story already, and how your generosity helped him get back on his feet during a rough patch in his life. If not, check out the story inside this newsletter! 

Richard accessed food support through the Wilmot Family Resource Centre and the Student Nutritional Access Program (SNAP) – two of our partners in the Community Assistance Network. Your amazing support ensures we can provide regular deliveries of fresh, nutritious food to all our partners.  

The amazing staff and volunteers throughout the Community Food Assistance Network ensure food is distributed to people living in Waterloo region, in need of assistance. People just like Richard, and his children. 

The need truly is greater than ever! We now see 1 in 14 households accessing emergency food assistance while it was just 1 in 20 households last year. 

The good news is this: Food assistance is often the first point of contact for individuals and families in need. Once in touch, people can be directed to other services, such as employment and resume assistance, violence prevention, parenting and family support, and more. Access to these and other supports can help lift a person out of poverty and into a better life.  

Thank you for giving so generously from your heart to support the more than 120 partners currently active in the Community Assistance Network. We could not provide food to more than 40,000 people in our region without you!