We are addressing the childhood hunger crisis through our healthy food packages, but we are also delivering hope, showing kids that their community cares, lifting them up, and changing lives. It’s so much more than food.
Annual Report
Our Mission
Food4Kids Waterloo Region provides healthy food packages to children ages 1-14 from severe food insecure homes during weekends and school breaks, when kids are not in school and unable to access school nutrition programs.
Our Values
Child-Centered
The well-being of children is the centre of our focus. We ensure accessibility and inclusiveness, while advocating for the elimination of food insecurity.
Collaborative
We engage and share with our community without bias or prejudice. Collaboration allows us to be resourceful, creatively leveraging our partners to improve effectiveness.
Caring
We practice compassionate caring in our concern for others and our respectfulness in word and deed.
Accountable
The children we serve, and the greater community we work alongside, can count on us to deliver our program with integrity and accountability.
Outcome-Focused
The impact we make on outcomes for children today, matter as much as ensured sustainability of our program in the future.
Our Pillars
Food4Kids Waterloo Region is based on three distinct pillars:
Food content and quality
All food provided will be healthy, culturally-sensitive, and accomodate dietary restrictions and allergies.
Access
We deliver the weekend food directly to children at their school during the school year, and to their homes during school breaks, ensuring a non-stigmatizing model of delivery.
Children
Each child, 14 years and under in a family, will receive their own food package, to ensure nourishment of all children living within severely food insecure homes.
Our Story
Food4Kids Waterloo Region began in September 2016, when we recognized that there was a gap in food security for children living throughout Waterloo Region, on weekends and during school breaks. This includes every weekend during the school year and for the 11 weeks of school breaks (Winter, March, and Summer).
Starting in the dining room of our founder, we provided bags of nutritious food for 19 kids at 6 schools. With the volunteer and financial support of our incredible community, we have been able to increase our ability to meet the nutritional needs of vulnerable children. In the 2021-22 school year, we served over 950 children in 50 schools for 40 weekends during the school year and provided daily support during the 90 days of school breaks. We are now supporting 1,200 children attending 106 schools.
Who We Help
At Food4Kids Waterloo Region, the well-being of children is the center of our focus. We strive to ensure accessibility and inclusiveness while advocating for eliminating chronic hunger and food insecurity. We serve children of all backgrounds and cultures, including new Canadians, Indigenous People, and Black or Persons of Colour. We are also the only local organization that provides food packages that meet cultural requirements (Halal) and specific dietary restrictions, making up 50% of our total food packages.
We are in 106 schools across Waterloo Region, including local public, Catholic, and French school boards. We are limited in our funding and increase children and schools when we can. Schools and Community Social Workers contact us to help children who have little to no food at home. Many more vulnerable children in the Waterloo Region need our imperative program.
Schools We Are In
Abraham Erb PS
Alpine PS
Avenue Road PS
Blue Heron PS
Cedarbrae PS
Centennial (Cambridge) PS
Centennial (Waterloo) PS
Central PS
Chalmers Street PS
Christ The King CS
Clemens Mill PS
Coronation PS
Courtland Avenue PS
Crestview PS
Ecole L’Harmonie PS
Edna Staebler PS
Elgin Street PS
Empire PS
Forest Glen PS
Forest Hill PS
Franklin PS
Grand View (Cambridge) PS
Grandview (NH) PS
Groh PS
Highland PS
Hillside PS
Holy Rosary CS
JF Carmichael PS
John Mahood Junior PS
Keatsway PS
King Edward PS
Lackner Woods PS
Laurelwood PS
Laurentian PS
Lincoln Heights PS
MacGregor PS
MacKenzie King PS
Manchester PS
Moffat Creek PS
Monsignor R.M. Haller CS
Our Lady of Lourdes CS
Parkway PS
Pioneer Park PS
Prueter PS
Queen Elizabeth PS
Queensmount PS
Rockway PS
Sandhills PS
Sheppard PS
Smithson PS
Southridge PS
St Andrew’s PS
St. Aloysius CS
St. Anne (Cambridge) CS
St. Bernadette CS
St. Daniel CS
St. Gregory CS
St. Johns CS
St. Nicholas CS
St. Paul CS
St. Peter CS
St Teresa (Kitchener) CS
St Teresa of Availa (Elmira) CS
St. Vincent de Paul CS
Stewart Avenue PS
Suddaby PS
Sunnyside PS
Tait Street PS
Trillium PS
Westheights PS
Westmount PS
William G Davis PS
Williamsburg PS
Wilson Avenue PS
Winston Churchill PS
WT Townshend PS
Ayr PS
Baden PS
Breslau PS
Bridgeport PS
Brigadoon PS
Chicopee Hills PS
Conestogo PS
Country Hills PS
Driftwood Park PS
Floradale PS
Hespeler PS
Hillcrest PS
Holy Family CS
Howard Robertson PS
Lester B Pearson PS
Lexington PS
Linwood PS
Meadowlane PS
Millen Woods PS
NA MacEachern PS
New Dundee PS
Northlake Woods PS
Oak Creek PS
Our Lady of Fatima CS
Our Lady of Grace CS
Park Manor PS
Riverside PS
Rosemount PS
Saint John Paul II CS
Silverheights PS
Sir Adam Beck PS
Sir Edgar Bauer CS
St Jacobs PS
St. Augustine CS
St. Boniface CS
St. Brigid CS
St. Clement CS
St. Dominic Savio CS
St. Elizabeth CS
St. Joseph (Cambridge) CS
St. Margaret CS
St. Mark CS
St. Matthew CS
St. Michael CS
St. Timothy CS
Wellesley PS
Westheights PS
Woodland Park PS
Help Kids in Waterloo Region
Consistent hunger, even just over weekends and extended school breaks, can set a child back for life. Most people aren’t aware that there is a significant number of children living with chronic hunger in our community.
Your donation can make a difference to kids in Waterloo Region.