'Drastic increase' of people turned to Waterloo region food bank this year, CEO says

The Food Bank of Waterloo Region has seen a "drastic increase" in people needing its services, CEO Kim Wilhelm says.

The annual Community Impact report, released Monday, found one in eight households in the region struggled to afford food. That's up from one in 20 households in 2020.

"We're seeing a drastic increase," Wilhelm said at a media conference on Monday, noting 73,000 people accessed food assistance programs through the food bank's network of agencies more than 565,000 times in the past year.

The report includes data from 54 organizations in the region that provide food assistance to people. The numbers are from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.

The report also noted:

• Number of new households accessing feed support for the first time increased 12 per cent from the previous year (8,469 households compared to 7,549 in 2022 to 2023).
• Visits to food hamper programs increased by 24 per cent, from 450,387 to 558,545.
• 11 per cent of households that reported an income source said at least one person in the family was employed, but they "lacked sufficient income to afford food."
• 19 per cent of households reported receiving Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program payments.

Wilhelm said there's "no single reason" people are turning to the food bank.

"Over the last couple of years, the cost of everyday living is increasing," she said.

"Whether that's the cost of groceries, the cost of fuel, the cost of housing — all of these things are contributing factors to a reason why someone may need to access food assistance. It's complicated. It could also be because of a sudden illness or a job loss."

'Community goodwill has increased' but it's not enough

Martin Buhr was one of the six community members who signed the food bank's letters patent in 1984, and has watched as the agency has grown and changed to meet the needs of the community over the last 40 years.

"It's astronomical, the increase in the need at the basic human living level," Buhr said.

Buhr said support for the food bank has changed over the years, with more help from various levels of government.

"I've also noted the community goodwill has increased, but still not sufficient to meet the need," he said. "So we have to collaborate — governments, citizens and and frontline agencies — to deal with the ongoing problem."

WATCH | Fall food drives underway in Waterloo region:

Fall food drives underway in Waterloo region

2 months ago

Duration 1:21

Fall food drives are underway in Waterloo region, including the Harvest Food Drive which takes place Saturday at Sobeys and Zehrs stores in Kitchener and Waterloo. During the Harvest Food Drive, people can purchase perishable items like carrots, potatoes and onions along with canned or boxed goods and cash donations. Kim Wilhelm, CEO of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, says they've seen a "significant increase" in the number of people accessing the food bank this year.

Wilhelm said food banks were created in the 1980s as a temporary measure to help people during a recession.

"But here we are, 40 years later, and we're not temporary anymore," she said.

And without changes at a provincial and federal level to make life more affordable, Wilhelm said, it's unlikely the food bank will ever close.

"The reality is our donations aren't keeping pace with the number of people who are accessing food assistance," she said.

"We do expect that next year we will continue to see a rise and we are doing our best to ensure that we can acquire the food that we need to feed our community," Wilhelm added.

"But it is a community effort. We can't do it alone. It's going to take the work of everyone to come together to ensure we can do that."