Give a little, feed a lot: The Food Bank’s Harvest Food Drive is back

Waterloo Region, Ont., September 29, 2025 – Fall has arrived, and with it, The Food Bank of Waterloo Region’s eighth annual Harvest Food Drive.

On Saturday, October 4, community members are invited to stop by any Sobeys or Zehrs store in Kitchener-Waterloo between noon and 4 p.m. with a cash donation. The first 20 people to donate at each store will receive a limited-edition Oktoberfest pin featuring The Food Bank’s mascot, Phil the Food Drive Bag!

The funds raised during the event will help buy fresh, nutritious food, ensuring that neighbours in need have access to healthy meals.

“The Harvest Food Drive is our community in action,” says Kim Wilhelm, CEO of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region. “Every donation helps us provide fresh, nutritious food to families and individuals facing food insecurity, so no one has to go hungry. Together, we’re making healthy meals possible for everyone in need.”

Donations can also be made by texting FOOD to 30333. Donations are added to the donor’s phone bill for that month, and a tax receipt is issued through the Mobile Giving Foundation. Non-perishable food items can also be dropped off in the in-store donation bins.

Last year, The Food Bank distributed nearly nine million pounds of food, including almost 3.5 million pounds of fresh food, to the 54 organizations in the Community Food Assistance Network that provide direct food support to the more than 73,600 people in Waterloo region accessing food assistance.

“Thanks to our caring community and partners like Sobeys and Zehrs, nearly half of the food we provide each year is fresh,” Wilhelm says. “These partnerships mean families and individuals accessing food assistance can enjoy healthy, balanced meals and live better-nourished lives.”

Online donations are also accepted at thefoodbank.ca/thanksgiving. Thanks to a generous Thanksgiving match by Conestoga Meats, every dollar donated provides four meals, doubling the impact of contributions. Normally, one dollar provides two meals.

This year, the Fall Food and Fund Drive campaign aims collect enough food and funds to provide 500,000 meals for the one in eight households in Waterloo region experiencing food insecurity. Since 2018, the Harvest Food Drive has provided nearly 90,000 meals to people in need.

Harvest Food Drive locations

• Sobeys Bridgeport
• Sobeys Columbia
• Sobeys Fischer-Hallman
• Sobeys Highland
• Sobeys Ira Needles
• Sobeys Northfield (aka: Parkside)
• Zehrs Beechwood
• Zehrs Conestoga
• Zehrs Glenridge
• Zehrs Hiway Centre
• Zehrs Laurentian
• Zehrs Pioneer Park
• Zehrs Stanley Park

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 nearly nine million pounds of fresh, frozen, and non-perishable food to 54 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