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 Reports
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 the 40 weekends during the school year and provided daily support during the 90 days of school breaks.
Who We Help
At Food4Kids Waterloo Region, the well-being of children is the centre of our focus. We strive to ensure accessibility and inclusiveness, while advocating for the elimination of 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.
Currently we are in 50 schools across Waterloo Region, including local public, Catholic, and French school boards. This represents 33% of the 150 local schools. Schools who are aware of our program contact us to help, but there are many schools who don’t know about our food program and need it. There are potentially 100 schools that might not know we exist or could be providing support to their students.
Schools We Are In
AR Kaufman
Avenue Road
Cedarbrae
Centennial (Cambridge)
Central
Chalmers Street
Christ The King
Clemens Mill
Conestogo
Coronation
Courtland Avenue
Crestview
Ecole L’Harmonie
Edna Staebler
Elgin Street
Empire
Forest Glen
Forest Hill
Franklin
Grand View (Cambridge)
Grandview (NH)
Groh
Highland
Jean Steckle
JF Carmichael
John Mahood
King Edward
Lackner Woods
Laurentian
Lincoln Heights
MacGregor
MacKenzie King
Manchester
Moffat Creek
Monsignor R.M. Haller
Our Lady of Lourdes
Pioneer Park
Queen Elizabeth
Queensmount
Rockway
Ryerson
Sandhills
Sheppard
Smithson
Southridge
St. Aloysius
St. Anne (Cambridge)
St. Bernadette
St. Daniel
St. Gregory
St. Johns
St. Paul
St. Peter
St Andrew’s
Stewart Avenue
Suddaby
Sunnyside
Tait Street
Trillium
Westheights
Westmount
William G Davis
Williamsburg
Wilson Avenue
Winston Churchill
Woodland Park
WT Townshend
Abraham Erb
Alpine
Ayr
Baden
Blair Road
Blessed Sacrament
Breslau
Bridgeport
Brigadoon
Canadian Martyrs
Cedar Creek
Centennial (W)
Chicopee Hills
Conestogo
Country Hills
Doon
Driftwood Park
E Ziegler
Floradale
Glencairn
Groh
Hespeler
Hillcrest
Holy Family
Holy Rosary
Holy Spirit
Howard Robertson
J W Gerth
Janet Metcalfe
John Darling
John Mahood
John Sweeney
Keatsway
Laurelwood
Lester B Pearson
Lexington
Linwood
Mackenzie King
Margaret Avenue
Mary Johnston
Meadowlane
Millen Woods
NA MacEachern
New Dundee
Northlake Woods
Oak Creek
Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Grace
Park Manor
Parkway
Preston
Prueter
Riverside
Rosemount
Saginaw
Saint John Paul II
Sandowne
Silverheights
Sir Adam Beck
Sir Edgar Bauer
St Jacobs
St. Agnes
St. Anne (Kitchener)
St. Augustine
St. Boniface
St. Brigid
St. Clement
St. Dominic Savio
St. Elizabeth
St. Gabriel
St. Joseph (Cambridge)
St. Kateri Tekakwitha
St. Luke
St. Margaret
St. Mark
St. Matthew
St. Michael
St. Nicholas
St. Teresa (Kitchener)
St. Teresa of Avila (Elmira)
St. Teresa of Calcutta (Cambridge)
St. Timothy
St. Vincent de Paul
Stanley Park
Vista Hills
Wellesley
Westheights
Westvale
Woodland Park
Highland
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.