Harvest Food Drive returns Saturday to help provide fresh food for neighbours experiencing food insecurity

Waterloo Region, Ont., October 1, 2026 – With the arrival of fall, The Food Bank of Waterloo Region’s ninth annual Harvest Food Drive returns, bringing the community together to help provide fresh food for neighbours experiencing food insecurity.

On Saturday, October 3, 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 funds raised during the event will help The Food Bank buy fresh, nutritious food for people accessing support through the Community Food Assistance Network.

“Food insecurity continues to affect thousands of people in our communities each month,” says Kim Wilhelm, CEO of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region. “The Harvest Food Drive brings our community together to help ensure people can access healthy, nutritious food. Every donation helps put fresh food on the table this fall for someone who needs it.”

Last year, The Food Bank distributed more than 9.6 million pounds of food, including nearly 3.4 million pounds of fresh food, through 61 local organizations that support almost 73,000 people across the region.

“Fresh food is an important part of the support people receive through our network of food assistance providers,” Wilhelm says. “Thanks to the generosity of our community and retail partners like Sobeys and Zehrs, thousands of people across Waterloo region can access nutritious food that supports their health and well-being.”

The Harvest Food Drive kicks off The Food Bank’s annual Fall Food and Fund Drive campaign, a community-wide effort to raise enough food and funds to provide 500,000 meals for the one in nine households in Waterloo region experiencing food insecurity. Since 2018, the Harvest Food Drive has helped provide more than 106,000 meals for neighbours in need.

Harvest Food Drive locations

• Sobeys Bridgeport
• Sobeys Columbia
• Sobeys Fischer-Hallman
• Sobeys Highland
• Sobeys Ira Needles
• Sobeys Northfield
• 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-two 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