By LORRI DETTA

This summer has been tremendously inspiring and filled with collectively hard
work at Food4Kids Waterloo Region.

Donors and volunteers of all ages and backgrounds came together selflessly to
help deliver 3,400 boxes of nutritious food to at-risk children who do not have enough
food to get through the summertime or the weekends and other breaks when they are
not in school.

Many individuals, groups, organizations and businesses in our community help
support Food4Kids Waterloo Region through financial donations, and many donated
food to our summer program. Hundreds of volunteers – individuals, students, entire
families, corporate, church, service clubs and community groups – helped this summer
by sorting, packaging, packing, and delivering food to welcoming arms each week.
Despite the number of children we support with the help of our community,
Food4Kids Waterloo Region is experiencing an increase in calls from distressed
parents, worried about food to feed their children and affordable housing.

This past month, on a hot summer Saturday, we received a call from a
desperate father who had received our contact information, passed to him from a mom
of a homeless family living at the same motel. Her child is supported by Food4Kids
Waterloo Region’s summer break program and during the school year. This newly
homeless family – father, mother and seven-year-old son- were living in an apartment
until they were given the notice to leave, and like many local individuals, couples and
families, they could not find affordable housing and were soon homeless. They called
us for food for their son.

After the call for help, Food4Kids Waterloo Region staff immediately gathered
healthy food and grocery cards for the local store to get the family through this tough
time.

Confined to a single dark, windowless room and a bathroom, this family’s new
home – a squalid strip motel, located adjacent to a high-end hotel – is no place for
children. Upon staff delivering the food, the mom sobbed, the dad shook my hand, and
the boy jumped up and down, squealing with delight at the box of food as if he received
an extravagant toy on his birthday. Their new one-room home-for-now is dingy and run
down with years of cigarette odour, stained carpet, dirty bedspreads and the aura of
decades of poverty and deprivation.

Living next door to this family in an identical hot and stuffy one-room with two
beds is a family of five recently arrived from Mexico, including three young girls, with
their mother and father. The mother and father speak limited English. The older
daughter translates, describing how the family arrived in Canada a week ago with little.
They did not have enough food, and no cell phone and were worried about heading into a
cold fall and winter.

Hearing their story, Food4Kids Waterloo Region staff left to return again with food
and grocery cards for the family and asked them to pass on our organization’s
contact information to their social worker to get in touch with Food4Kids
Waterloo Region for future support – the support they could receive just like the
other two families living in this motel.

Unfortunately, this isn’t an anomaly. There are many more stories of children
struggling with chronic hunger and severe food insecurity. About 3,000 children in this
area are victims of food insecurity. Food4Kids Waterloo Region has reached a third of
them, with the generous help and care of our community.

The personal stories above are not as heartbreaking as the ones involving
children who do not have a parent advocating on their behalf. It’s not that parents do
not want to feed their kids, they simply can’t for a variety of reasons such as physical
disabilities, mental health issues or they are part of the working poor etc. Regardless of
the reasons, it’s not the child’s fault for their family circumstances, and there is no
reason for any child to worry about where their food will come from.

We have heard many real-life scenarios from teachers and social workers who
tell us about the kids living with chronic hunger and tucking food from the snack bowl
into their pockets for later.

For example, two children were found to be malnourished. Their parents were
blinded in the Afghanistan war and couldn’t provide for their children. Social workers
were contacted for support, and they reached out to Food4Kids Waterloo Region to
provide nutritional support on weekends and breaks, as we are the only food program
that accommodates a cultural menu including Halal (or food allergies/dietary specific).

Consistent hunger, even just over weekends and extended school breaks, can
set a child back for life. Being a child from a low-income family increases their risk of
having to face a number of health, financial, and social challenges. One of these social
challenges is the risk of exploitation in the pursuit of food or becoming involved in
criminal behaviour.

Without early intervention, these children might grow up to face unemployment,
mental health issues, addiction, lack of education, poverty, homelessness and/or prison.
Almost 100 percent of Canadian prison inmates experienced poverty. We see the
future results of child poverty every day currently on our street corners, encampments,
park benches, and prison systems.

Our federal government has ambitious and noble plans to help children living
with severe food insecurity with a national school food program when kids are in school.
However, there are no plans to support children who depend on school nutrition
programs the other half of the year, (40 weekends and 90 days of school breaks), when
they are not in school. That’s where Food4Kids Waterloo Region comes in. We
provide a direct impact in reducing child hunger in our community.

It takes a village to raise a child and we are part of that village. Together with
our community, we provide packages of healthy food for children ages 1 to 14 living with
chronic hunger in severely food insecure homes, on weekends and during winter,
spring, and summer breaks from school.

But Food4Kids Waterloo Region is much more than providing food – it also
delivers hope and shows kids that their community cares, lifting them up, and changing
lives. Food4Kids Waterloo Region is funded through personal and corporation
donations, grants, foundations and fundraising, and is supported by hundreds of
volunteers. It currently serves children attending 50 of the 150 schools in the Waterloo
Region. Its goal is to reach all children living with chronic hunger in our community so
they can have the nourishment they need to grow up healthy and secure.

For more information, please visit www.food4kidswr.ca.

May 23, 2022

For Immediate Release

Waterloo Region, ON – – In June 2020, Food4Kids Waterloo Region (F4KWR) received a
Grow Grant in the amount of $415,800 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. This funding
allowed Food4Kids Waterloo Region to reach 430 more children living with chronic hunger
from severe food insecure homes in Waterloo Region. As of June 30, 2022, Food4Kids
Waterloo Region will be providing direct food assistance to 1,000 vulnerable, at-risk
children in our community on weekends and during school breaks, making a significant
positive impact on their lives.

“We are grateful for the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s commitment to Food4Kids Waterloo
Region’s mission in reducing childhood hunger in our community with this remarkable
investment through the Grow Grant” says Lorri Detta, Executive Director. “We are stronger
together with our community as a result of this funding and we can help even more
children meet their basic needs. We know consistent hunger, even just over weekends
and extended school breaks, can set a child back for life.”

“With this investment, Food4Kids Waterloo Region was further enabled to meet the
challenges of the pandemic to feed more children living with chronic hunger from our
community. These children are now receiving life-changing, year-round healthy food
support from our program,” added Detta.

Food4Kids Waterloo Region provides healthy food packages to children aged 1-14 living
with chronic hunger from severely food insecure homes on weekends during the school
year, as well as during the winter, spring and summer breaks.
“Thank you, Ontario Trillium Foundation, for believing in our mission, and for caring about
children living with chronic hunger in our community,” added Detta, “It takes a village to
raise a child, and we are part of that village.”

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and
one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112M was invested into
1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and
strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non-profit sector. In 2020/21, OTF supported Ontario’s
economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the
impacts of COVID-19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
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For More Information and/or Interviews please contact
Lorri Detta, Executive Director Food4Kids Waterloo Region
lorridetta@food4kidswr.ca (519)-576-3443 ext 1
www.food4kidswr.ca

Food4Kids Waterloo Region is extremely grateful that Access Storage stepped forward as a community leader to support us and help feed our kids. Their three-year commitment of $10,000, for a total of $30,000, makes them the very first company to become a Champion of Hope Donor and this generous gift will make a significant impact on our mission to feed hungry kids. We had a chance to sit down and chat with their staff as part of our new donor spotlight feature “Tell Us In 10” to discuss their story.

1. Tell us a little about the history of Access Storage and how your company got started and where you are today?

Access Storage started 20 years ago with a single location in Oshawa, Ontario. Since then, we have grown to more than 230 locations across Canada. Despite the growth, we still hold the same beliefs that when a community we serve is healthy, we are healthy as a company. We have kept that commitment. We are proudly Canadian owned from coast to coast and our mandate is – Buy Local. Shop Local. Store Local.

2. What might someone be surprised to learn about your company?

People are surprised to learn that we have more than 150 national, regional and local partners across Canada. What our company is most proud of is the support we provide at all levels of community. From grassroots and charitable organizations, hospitals and music festivals, to little league through to professional sports, including the Toronto Raptors and Team Canada – we are invested in Canadian communities.

3. What is something that your company is very proud of that you would like to share?

Being a Canadian owned and operated company is at the core of who we are. We employ over 800 staff nationally, and are very proud to support the communities where we work and live.

4. Tell us how your first became aware and/or involved with Food4Kids Waterloo Region?

We were in the middle of a campaign to see how we could support what’s important in the KW community. Our KW colleague Deanna Wood brought Food4Kids WR’s name forward after having a long conversation with Food4Kids WR board member and longtime Access Storage client Bryan Hamilton.

After their chat, she was so moved and inspired that she sent messages on to the Access Storage head office to consider supporting us. She made this happen. She was compelled to respond to our needs and she originally proposed to us and said we were a great organization. That is what matters – what is important to our colleagues is important to us.

After the initial recommendation, we had a long phone call with your former Executive Director, Kelly Sue Oberle and she also had a big part of us becoming involved with Food4Kids Waterloo Region. When we spoke to her on the phone, we were drawn to her passion and dedication and commitment and sheer authenticity to support the community and she is a big part of making this happen.

5. What inspires your company’s giving spirit? We can see from your website that your company has a strong belief that a strong sense of family and even stronger commitment to community. You have an incredible legacy of giving back across a wide variety of areas Canada wide, including sponsoring programs, activities and events of all kinds including family activities, initiatives to support mental health, seniors, children, churches, hospitals, golf tournaments, festivals, sporting events, leagues, and teams and more. Tell us more.

We align with like-minded organizations with an equal passion and desire to support community in all areas. Our core values and personal beliefs are embedded throughout the organization and shown within our colleagues across the country. We are very family-centric, with so many of our employees being parents themselves, the desire to support children having access to healthy food was a natural fit for us.

This internal sense of giving has never been more true than how we learned about Food4Kids Waterloo Region. If your board member had not cared so much about your organization, he would not have spoken to our store manager and inspired her to carry the request for support forward internally, and here we are. Caring and compassion are an integral part of our company and those that are part of our team.

6. What interests your company most about our organization and what would you tell others about why you are supporting us?

The decision to support Food4Kids Waterloo Region is a simple one. The success of your growth since 2016, speaks to your compassion, resilience, and dedication to supporting children with food insecurities. Our ability to support your efforts in feeding over 800 children with chronic hunger is truly our privilege and honour and we are grateful that there are services like yours in the Waterloo Region which help to support vulnerable children.

7. What is something that has surprised you the most about Food4Kids Waterloo Region?

Throughout his process and getting to understand your organization, what has been most surprising is realizing the great need within the community. Also gaining a better understanding of the daily and weekly programming services you provide and the reach you have within our community. You are recognizing this great need and we are recognizing how this small but mighty charity is addressing this need. Nothing short of remarkable.

8. We are feeding children living with chronic hunger and we often hear stories from our volunteers or donors how their personal experiences resonate with the work we are doing. Do you have any anonymous stories to share?

STORY #1 I grew up one of 5 children of hard-working parents and I remember eating cereal at our house as a child. There were two kinds in the cupboard – what was considered to be healthy cereal, and a more fun, kid friendly variety. My parents rationed the ‘special cereal’ and I grew up feeling that impact. I remember how it made me feel when I got to eat it and fully aware of how hard my parents worked to get it for us. I can totally relate to how these children might be feeling, because of that childhood memory.

STORY #2 I was delivering food once in the Halton area and it took me several trips to get the food to their doorstep. I vividly remember a little boy at the door asking me if there was maple syrup in the bags to go with the pancake mix they were receiving. At the time, my son was not far from his age, and I remember thinking that he would only eat a particular brand of syrup at our house. And the realization that this boy was getting NO syrup in his bag. I remember that feeling that these are ALL our children. When I left and got back in my car, went to the store and bought him some syrup. It was a general sense of doing the right thing for my community. Over the years, I have taken my kids to deliver too, so they could experience it with me and appreciate what they have. Donating our time and hoping to make a difference.

9. What would you say to another individual or company who is considering donating, volunteers or getting involved with Food4Kids Waterloo Region?

If you have the opportunity to provide your time, talent or treasure – do it. We can all make a difference towards a future where no child goes hungry. It is incumbent of all of us. Helping children at Food4Kids Waterloo Region is really food for our soul.

10. Do you have anything more you would like to add?

We are grateful to have the ability to work with Food4Kids Waterloo Region, and to know that we can make a difference. Thank you for the incredible work you do to support children and families in the Waterloo community. We couldn’t make it without Food4Kids Waterloo Region, and for Kelly Sue and the staff at your charity, who cares so much about feeding these kids.

A charity can find itself in uncharted waters and the need to adapt and change can be difficult. Having supportive partners is critical.

When Novel Coronavirus struck, physically providing food to the children living with chronic hunger, while operating with an isolation mandate, became impossible. The health and safety of the children, our over 750 volunteers and our small staff was our foremost concern.Food4Kids Waterloo Region had to find a solution. The solution was to provide grocery cards to the families we serve, enough to sustain them daily. This increased our financial output significantly. Providing food is not as expensive, because of wholesale relationships we have developed. Providing grocery cards is.

Google Canada has been a pivotal supporter through this crisis, contributing over $50 thousand from their Community Grants program to support the daily needs of children in our community.
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“We’re proud to support Food4Kids Waterloo Region,” said Steven Woods, Canada Engineering and Waterloo Site Lead. “Food insecurity is an area of critical need, especially now, and we’re inspired by how quickly Food4Kids has created a solution to support the ongoing health and wellness of local children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“Google’s donation has ensured that Food4Kids Waterloo Region will continue to provide for children living with chronic food insecurity in our community, during and after COVID 19,” stated Kelly-Sue Oberle, Executive Director, Food4Kids Waterloo Region. “It has been a significant gift at a time of critical need.”