When Thien Nguyen was 18, his father suffered a heart attack, and his mother became ill, making it impossible for them to work. Within a year, their savings were depleted, and they needed extra support to get by. Fortunately, someone introduced them to the Community Food Assistance Network, supported by The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, where they were able to access food assistance.

“Reflecting back on the time that we needed assistance, we didn’t know these programs existed,” Thien recalls. “Someone introduced us—whether it was the church that sponsored our family, a social worker, or whoever it was. We didn’t know these programs existed. Thankfully, they did, because they helped our family tremendously during some dire times.”

Thien remembers his three younger siblings looking forward to opening the boxes of food they received.

“Every week was a surprise for them,” he says. “We never knew what we were going to get.”

For about six months, food assistance provided critical support to Thien’s family, helping them through a difficult period. Now, 30 years later, his parents are healthy, and he’s built a successful career as a broker, having founded TN Real Estate Group—a small but dedicated team in Kitchener specializing in residential and commercial real estate across Waterloo region, the Greater Toronto Area, and surrounding areas.

Thien has never forgotten the support his family received and is committed to instilling the value of giving back in his children and those around him. Earlier this year, he rallied his colleagues to take part in Great Food Sort Challenge, our annual event where 30 teams suit up like superheroes and go head-to-head in an action-packed showdown to fight hunger and sort the most non-perishable food for people in need. Channeling their sorting superpowers, Thien’s team sorted an incredible 2,163 pounds of non-perishable food.

“It was a great team-building event,” Thien says. “The team had a really good time.”

In addition to sorting food, to help spread awareness about food insecurity in Waterloo and to raise funds for The Food Bank, teams are encouraged to fundraise for their chance to win the Most Funds Raised title. These efforts also count toward the Most Meals Raised title, which combines funds raised with the total amount of food sorted. Unleashing their fundraising superpowers, Thien’s team raised $6,180.50—the highest of any team. Combining their fundraising efforts with the food they sorted, they raised an impressive 14,164 meals, flying away with the Most Meals Raised victory.

“It was a nice surprise,” Thien says. “But I think everybody wins at the end of the day when the community comes together like this.”

Thien is already looking forward to next year’s Great Food Sort Challenge, when his team can build on what they’ve learned and make an even bigger impact by sorting even more non-perishable food for those in need.

“I’m glad that [The Food Bank] has these events,” Thien says. “You facilitate the whole thing, so it was easy for us to show up and volunteer our time. We found it to be a great way to start off the new year. We loved participating and supporting the community. This is near and dear to my heart because we’ve used these services.”

To learn more about Great Food Sort Challenge, visit the event page.