Full Bellies. Happy Hearts. campaign surpasses goal, raising 1.8 million meals for kids and families

Waterloo Region, Ont., September 8, 2026 – The Food Bank of Waterloo Region is celebrating a milestone achievement as its summer-long Full Bellies. Happy Hearts. campaign surpassed its goal of 1.5 million meals, raising 1.8 million meals to support thousands of children and families facing food insecurity across the region.

Now in its eighth year, the campaign ran from June 1 to August 31 and inspired the community to donate more food and funds than ever before, helping The Food Bank provide 1,829,533 healthy and nutritious meals to children and their families accessing food assistance programs through the Community Food Assistance Network. Since 2019, the campaign has raised nearly 12 million meals.

“Reaching 1.8 million meals is an incredible accomplishment, but what makes this achievement truly meaningful is knowing what it means for families in our community,” says Kim Wilhelm, CEO at The Food Bank of Waterloo Region. “Every donation helps ensure children can start their day with breakfast, families can prepare wholesome dinners, and parents can worry a little less about how they’ll make ends meet. This campaign shows what’s possible when a community comes together to support its neighbours.”

For the past eight years, the Allan Bush Investment Team has served as a matching sponsor for the Full Bellies. Happy Hearts. campaign. In a letter to the community in June, Allan Bush, senior wealth advisor at the Allan Bush Investment Team, wrote, “No child should have to wonder where their next meal is coming from.”

“We’re incredibly grateful to Allan and his team for their steadfast support over the past eight years,” says Wilhelm. “Their generous donation match inspired others to give, enabling us to exceed our goal and provide even more healthy, nutritious food to children and families facing hunger.”

The Food Bank’s 2025 fiscal data shows that about 26,000 children in Waterloo region are living in food-insecure households, representing a seven per cent increase from the previous year.

“While today’s result is worth celebrating, we can’t lose sight of the reality that thousands of children in Waterloo region are growing up in households struggling to afford the basics,” says Wilhelm. “The support we received this summer will help families put food on the table, but reducing food insecurity takes more than food. If we want fewer families to need food assistance in the future, we need long-term solutions that make life more affordable and ensure everyone has enough income to meet their basic needs.”

Learn more about The Food Bank’s advocacy efforts during Hunger Action Month at thefoodbank.ca/advocate. To donate online, host a food and fund drive, or volunteer at The Food Bank, visit thefoodbank.ca.

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.

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Media contact

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