Agency spotlight: Waterloo Wayside

Waterloo Wayside begins with a simple belief: every person has something valuable to contribute. This belief is at the heart of Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), an approach that identifies and connects the skills, knowledge, and resources already present within a community.

“Waterloo Wayside is an organization that’s based on a concept called Asset-Based Community Development,” explains David Petro, chair of Waterloo Wayside’s board. “ABCD assumes that the community has everything it needs—we just have to find it and connect it.”

Operating out of Emmanuel United Church in Waterloo, Waterloo Wayside puts this approach into action by building and nurturing integrated communities. Its programs prioritize relationships, dignity, and reciprocity, creating opportunities for people to share their gifts while accessing support and making meaningful connections.

Those programs include After-School JUMP Math, which combines math tutoring with hands-on kitchen skills; Sharewear, where people can shop for clothing and shoes; and Chair Yoga.

Some of the clothing available through Sharewear.

About 90 volunteers support Waterloo Wayside’s programs each week. Many currently participate in its programs or have done so in the past, blurring the traditional line between those providing support and those receiving it.

“The trap we fall into a lot of times is that we’ll identify people in need and define a one-way stream of support without giving them any opportunity to reciprocate,” David says. “The whole nature of the relationships that we have in our community is founded on reciprocity.”

That shared sense of ownership is evident throughout Waterloo Wayside.

“The biggest complaint we have at Wayside is, ‘We don’t know who’s running this place,’” David says. “To me, that’s a success, because everybody’s running it. We all have a sense of responsibility for creating this unique community.”

Food chosen with dignity

This community-centred approach also shapes Waterloo Wayside’s food assistance programs, which operate with support from The Food Bank of Waterloo Region.

Waterloo Wayside’s hamper program, known as the Food Bag Program, is open every Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. People can choose from fresh, frozen, and non-perishable food, as well as toiletries and other household essentials. The program serves about 140 households each week.

“They come through with somebody who helps them pick what they want,” explains Giesela Goetz, the program coordinator at Waterloo Wayside. “If somebody wants tomato sauce, they can take a can of tomato sauce. They can pick and choose what they want to take. We want them to feel like they’re shopping.”

A volunteer helping to support Waterloo Wayside’s hamper program.

“It’s founded on equity rather than equality,” David adds. “Instead of making sure everybody’s bag is the same, it’s based on what someone needs.”

Demand changes with the season. Right now, Giesela says snacks, such as granola bars, are especially popular.

“Families are packing kids’ lunches, so that’s what they’re looking for,” she says.

The program’s spirit of reciprocity is also reflected in its volunteers—many contribute their time while navigating food insecurity themselves.

“Half of the volunteers leave with a food bag because they’re experiencing food insecurity,” David says. “To me, that’s a really reaffirming message that the community is helping itself. We’ve created this community where everybody is a peer, and there are really meaningful conversations.”

More than a meal

Waterloo Wayside also offers a meal program called the Bridgeport Café. Open Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 3 p.m., the café provides more than 750 meals each month.

“Anybody in need of a meal can come to the Bridgeport Café,” Giesela says. “We try to do a protein, a vegetable, a salad, a soup, and a dessert every day. They can come and sit down, have a meal, and socialize.”

Sandwiches and coffee are also available, and musicians often perform during the café. Meals range from fish and chips to chicken and potatoes—but food is only part of what brings people through the doors.

“We’ve had newcomers to Canada who’ve just moved into the area and want to get to know people,” Giesela says.

“We’ve got a number of people who just come for coffee and conversation,” David adds.

One of the meals served at the Bridgeport Café.

The café is what David describes as a “third space”—somewhere outside home and work where people can gather, exchange ideas, and connect as equals.

“We’re intentionally creating this third space that’s devoid of power structures and hierarchy,” he explains. “It’s where people come as peers. There’s a sense of collective ownership and contribution.”

That environment also gives community members opportunities to share their own skills and experiences.

“It’s a great platform for people to share their gifts,” David says. “There’s this one woman who has an ESL background. She puts out a sign and hosts a conversation circle for people who are new to Canada and want to practice conversational English.”

A community built on reciprocity

At Waterloo Wayside, people come for many reasons—a meal, a food bag, or a conversation—but the relationships they build often inspire them to give back.

“For me, it’s seeing the relational nature of community,” David says. “People will come into our community in need and be active users of our Food Bag Program. Over time, as they straighten things out or get an employment opportunity, they’ll come back with three or four big bags of groceries because they feel an obligation to give back. It’s all based on that reciprocity.”

That cycle of receiving, contributing, and connecting is what makes Waterloo Wayside more than a collection of programs. It’s a community where everyone’s dignity is protected, everyone’s gifts are valued, and everyone has a place.

“People come because of the connection, the community, and the socialization,” Giesela says. “You’ll always need that.”

Waterloo Wayside is one of 65 organizations in the Community Food Assistance Network. If you’d like to help The Food Bank support Network partners like Waterloo Wayside, visit our Get Involved section on our website to learn more about donating food, funds, or time.