Serve up hope this Thanksgiving: Community support can help provide healthy meals across Waterloo region

This year’s Grillefest takes place on October 9. Proceeds support The Food Bank of Waterloo Region.

Waterloo Region, Ont., October 5, 2026 – As families gather around the Thanksgiving table, nearly 73,000 people across Waterloo region are struggling to afford food. This month, The Food Bank of Waterloo Region is calling on the community to help ensure healthy food is available for everyone who needs it.

“While many of us look forward to sharing a meal with loved ones this Thanksgiving, thousands of people in our community are facing difficult choices between paying bills and buying groceries,” says Kim Wilhelm, CEO of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region. “In October, we’re inviting our community to come together and help provide hope, dignity, and healthy food, so everyone can enjoy a healthy meal at their table.”

How to help

Donate food: The Food Bank is seeking non-perishable food donations. This month’s most needed item is canned vegetables. Donations can be dropped off at local grocery stores or at police, fire, and paramedic stations across Kitchener-Waterloo.

Donate funds: Financial contributions can be made online at thefoodbank.ca/thanksgiving, allowing The Food Bank to buy essential items for nutritious meals. Donations can also be made in person at 50 Alpine Court in Kitchener or by calling 519.743.5576. Normally, every dollar donated provided provides two healthy meals, but thanks to a dollar-for-dollar matching gift from community leader Conestoga Meats, donations made by 11:59 p.m. on October 12 will be matched up to $22,0000, providing four healthy meals for every dollar donated.

Join EAT 365: Thanks to a generous matching gift from the Balsillie Family Foundation, all new monthly donations made by December 31, 2026, will be matched for the first year, up to a combined total of $100,000. Learn more and sign up at thefoodbank.ca/eat365.

Support community events: Community members can also participate in local Oktoberfest events supporting The Food Bank.

• Grillefest: Kitchener Council’s annual Grillefest takes place Friday, October 9. Traditional sausages on fresh buns, cold drinks, and cookies will be available for a minimum $5 donation to The Food Bank.
• Thanksgiving Day Parade: Cash and non-perishable food donations will be collected during the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day Parade on October 12. Financial contributions can also be made by texting PARADE to 30333.
• Honky Tonk at the Conc: This country-themed Oktoberfest event takes place October 14 at 6 p.m. at Concordia Club. Tickets are available at ca/oktoberfest, with proceeds supporting The Food Bank.
• Stuff a Bus: As part of the Onkel Hans Food Drive, food and cash donations will be collected during the Bruce Cockburn concert at Centre in the Square on October 15. The first 500 donors will receive a commemorative Oktoberfest button.

For a complete listing of events, visit thefoodbank.ca/events.

“Whether you give food or make a financial contribution, you’re helping ensure people across Waterloo region have access to healthy food,” Wilhelm says. “That’s what makes this community so special. When people need support, our community steps up.”

In Waterloo region, one in nine households relies on a food hamper program. Through the generosity of donors, volunteers, and community partners, The Food Bank and its 66 partner organizations can provide essential food and support to thousands of people across the region. For more information, 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-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 nearly nine 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