Food Bank of WR expands after-hours food locker program
Posted Sep 3, 2026 05:01:28 PM.
The Food Bank of Waterloo Region has expanded its after-hours food locker program with four new locations added.
The food bank piloted the initiative in 2024 with its first location at the Country Hills Community Centre in Kitchener.
Residents in-need of food assistance have been able to pick up hampers in refrigerated lockers that have evening and weekend access.
“No one should have to choose between earning a paycheque and putting food on the table,” said Food Bank CEO, Kim Wilhelm, in a release.
“We know that many people facing food insecurity are working, caring for family members, or juggling multiple responsibilities. The After-Hours Food Locker program gives them another option to access support on their own schedule.”
The hampers include fresh, frozen and non-perishable food items and participants retrieve them by entering a personalized access code.
The new lockers are located at Breithaupt Centre in Kitchener, the Kitchener Public Library’s Forest Heights location, and the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex. The fourth new location will be at Kitchener’s Cowan Recreation Centre, which is expected to open later this year.
The Food Bank of Waterloo Region says the program expansion is possible thanks to a $148,200 capital grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the provincial government.
Community members interested in a referral for the after-hours locker program can contact the food bank’s assistance outreach line at (519) 743-5576, ext. 340.
