1 in 8 households in Waterloo Region access food assistance: Report

Food banks across Canada are in crisis.

The Food Bank of Waterloo Region is sharing statistics on the state of food insecurity in region through its 2024 Community Impact report. According to the report, one in eight households in Waterloo Region access some kind of food assistance.

Kim Wilhelm, the CEO of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, says that just three years ago, that number was one in 20.

“There’s not one single fix that’s going to ensure that these numbers come down,” said Wilhelm. “Food banks are at a crisis.”

“Nationally, food bank visits have doubled in five years…Doubled.”

In Waterloo Region 73,000 individuals have accessed some kind of food assistance this year, a number that has increased by 25 per cent during that time and about 25,000 of those people are children.

Wilhelm added that the increasing costs of living and food have caused donations to the food bank to decrease, and the that instability has also led to the food bank itself having more difficulties sourcing food.

“If food is costing you more money, it’s also costing us more money,” said Wilhelm. “We’re really looking at different and innovative ways so we can stretch that dollar further.”

Wilhelm says all levels of government need to come together to come up with short term and long term solutions to solve food insecurity across Canada.

Those interested in helping stock the shelves, either through a donation or by volunteering, can head to thefoodbank.ca.