The Food Bank expands After-Hours Food Locker program thanks to $148,200 OTF grant from Ontario government

Left, Tiffany Smith, director of community programming and outreach, City of Waterloo, Jaime Bickerton, director of agency and partner network relations, The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, Julie Hornick-Martyk, food assistance outreach coordinator, The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, Kim Wilhelm, CEO of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife, Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe, and Jillian Fleming, director of recreation services, City of Waterloo, pose in front of the new after-hours food lockers at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex.

Waterloo, Ont., September 3, 2026 – Earlier today, local MPP Catherine Fife met with staff from The Food Bank of Waterloo Region to learn more about the impact of the $148,200 capital grant the organization received from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), funded by the provincial government.

“I was very encouraged to see how effectively the strong team at The Food Bank of Waterloo Region will be using this grant,” said Catherine Fife, MPP for Waterloo. “With an ever-increasing affordability crisis in our community this funding will expand desperately needed emergency food services for our community. The team at The Food Bank continues to show our community what it means to take care of your neighbour and how local expertise and volunteers can make a difference.”

The funding will support the expansion of The Food Bank’s After-Hours Food Locker program through the addition of four new locker locations, bringing the total number to five.

The new locker locations are:

• Breithaupt Centre
• Cowan Recreation Centre (opening in late 2026)
• Kitchener Public Library’s Forest Heights location
• Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex

These sites join the existing locker location at Country Hills Community Centre and will help more people in Kitchener-Waterloo access emergency food support closer to home and at times that work for their schedules.

For many people experiencing food insecurity, work schedules, caregiving responsibilities, and other commitments can make it difficult to access food programs during regular hours. The After-Hours Food Locker program helps remove those barriers by offering flexible evening and weekend access to food hampers through refrigerated lockers located in community spaces.

“No one should have to choose between earning a paycheque and putting food on the table,” explained Kim Wilhelm, CEO of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region. “We know that many people facing food insecurity are working, caring for family members, or juggling multiple responsibilities. The After-Hours Food Locker program gives them another option to access support on their own schedule. Expanding the program means more households can get the food they need in a way that is convenient, accessible, and respectful of their circumstances.”

Food hampers include fresh, frozen, and non-perishable items and remain safe and secure until participants retrieve them using a personal access code. Referrals are made through The Food Bank’s Centralized Food Assistance Outreach line at 519.743.5576 extension 340. Priority is given to households that cannot access food programs during regular operating hours.

About The Food Bank of Waterloo Region

Founded in 1984, The Food Bank of Waterloo Region (The Food Bank) was the first organization of its kind in Ontario dedicated to providing emergency food. Forty-one years after its incorporation, The Food Bank continues to evolve to meet the community’s needs, ensuring that no one in Waterloo region experiences hunger. As a distribution centre, The Food Bank distributes more than 9.6 million pounds of fresh, frozen, and non-perishable food to 61 organizations within the Community Food Assistance Network. Learn more at thefoodbank.ca.

About Ontario Trillium Foundation

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Ontario government with a mission to build healthy and vibrant communities across the province. In 2025–26, OTF invested nearly $107 million into 746 community projects. Projects aim to enhance economic well-being, foster more active lifestyles, support child and youth development, provide spaces for people to come together and connect, and create a more sustainable environment. Visit otf.ca to learn more.

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Media contact

Michelle Rickard
Manager, Marketing and Communications
The Food Bank of Waterloo Region
micheller@thefoodbank.ca