No child should go hungry during summer break

While summer brings a slower pace for many, it doesn’t bring relief for everyone. In Waterloo region, families already working hard to make ends meet often find the season adds new pressure to already tight budgets.

Take Madison, for example. She’s a single parent raising her six-year-old on one income. She budgets carefully, but rising grocery prices leave little room for flexibility. Every trip to the grocery store means difficult choices about what stays in the cart—and what has to go back on the shelf.

Alex and Brittany, who both work minimum-wage jobs while raising two children, face a similar reality. A recent rent increase has left them struggling to keep up. Like many families, they’re caught in the gap between earning an income and still not earning enough to cover today’s rising living costs.

Other families face additional barriers. David is unable to work and relies on Ontario Disability Support Program payments. His partner, Chris, works full time, and together, they’re raising three children. Even with careful budgeting, their combined income is not enough to comfortably support a family of five.

While their circumstances differ, these families share a common reality: during the school year, their children rely on school nutrition programs for breakfasts, lunches, and snacks.

For single parents like Madison, those meals help stretch an already limited budget. For low-income households like Alex and Brittany’s, they ease the pressure of choosing between rent and groceries. For families like David and Chris’, they provide reliable access to nutritious food that would otherwise be difficult to afford consistently.

And that access matters. Nutritious food helps children grow, learn, and focus in school. It also supports their overall physical and mental health. For many parents, providing healthy meals is not about convenience—it’s about giving their children the best chance to thrive.

When schools close for the summer, many school nutrition programs pause or become harder to access, leaving parents to fill the gap on their own.

That gap is often invisible, but its impact is not. It can mean smaller portions. Skipped meals. Parents going without so their children don’t have to.

In Waterloo region, more than 26,000 children live in food-insecure households. Behind that number are hardworking parents doing everything they can to make sure their kids have enough to eat. But sometimes, it’s still not enough.

That’s why The Food Bank of Waterloo Region runs the Full Bellies. Happy Hearts. campaign every summer—to help ensure families can continue accessing healthy, nutritious food not just in the summer, but all year long. This year, the campaign aims to raise 1.5 million meals by August 31.

During the campaign, every donation goes twice as far thanks to a generous match from the Allan Bush Investment Team. That means every dollar donated provides four meals instead of two. Donations can be made online at thefoodbank.ca/fullbellies.

The community can also help by donating kid-friendly, non-perishable food items. These donations help ensure families across Waterloo region can continue accessing healthy, nutritious food through local food assistance programs. Non-perishable food items can be dropped off at any grocery store or at police, fire, or paramedic stations in Kitchener-Waterloo. Right now, the most needed items are applesauce pouches, granola bars, and juice boxes.

Another way to make a difference is by hosting a food and fund drive. It can be as simple as asking friends and family to bring a non-perishable item to a summer barbeque, or as creative as organizing a staff lunch fundraiser or office challenge between departments in support of The Food Bank. Every dollar and every food item collected helps support families facing hunger—and helps raise awareness so more people are inspired to get involved. Food and fund drives can be registered at thefoodbank.ca/ffd.

Together, we can help ensure families across Waterloo region have access to the food they need—this summer and every day—because no child should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.

Kim Wilhelm is the CEO at The Food Bank of Waterloo Region.