New 'deeply concerning' numbers show record-breaking rise in food bank use in Waterloo region

Kate Bueckert · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 06, 2025 11:59 AM EST | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

The numbers are "deeply concerning."

That's the absorption of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region CEO Kim Wilhelm to the organization's yearly assemblage interaction report, released Thursday, which outlines however galore radical person needed nutrient assistance implicit the past year.

The study shows the request for nutrient assistance successful the portion continues to scope grounds numbers.

“Food assistance is nary longer conscionable a short-term information net. High lodging costs, stagnant wages, and inadequate societal supports are forcing much radical to trust connected exigency nutrient programs long-term," Wilhelm said successful a release.

The Food Bank of Waterloo Region does not straight supply nutrient to individuals. Instead, the nutrient slope works with a web of organizations to administer nutrient to radical successful assorted ways including hamper programs and lukewarm meals.

The study says determination were adjacent to 622,000 full visits to nutrient hamper programs successful the past twelvemonth — a caller grounds high. The numbers besides showed 7,000 households accessed a hamper programme much than 8 times, which is simply a 21 per cent summation from the twelvemonth before. 

It besides says that betwixt July 2024 and June of this year, the nutrient slope distributed a record-breaking 9.6 cardinal pounds of fresh, frozen, and non-perishable nutrient to web partners, which was a 7 per cent summation implicit the erstwhile year.

“The latest information from our 2025 Community Impact study is profoundly concerning," Wilhelm said.

'Glimmer of hope'

An summation successful nutrient slope users is simply a inclination being seen crossed the province.

Carolyn Stewart, main enforcement serviceman of Feed Ontario, which represents a web of implicit 1,200 nutrient banks and hunger alleviation organizations, told CBC News past period that successful 2024, nutrient banks served much than 1 cardinal people, a grounds number.

“This year, things person not gotten immoderate better,” she said.

“The affordability situation that we're besides seeing is truly inactive affecting Ontarians and leaving them incapable to spend their astir basal necessities, and this led to grounds precocious numbers of our neighbours turning to nutrient banks for help.”

Stewart said nary substance wherever radical are successful the province, they're seeking services from nutrient banks and different groups that assistance with hunger relief, and it's not slowing down.

“We've seen nutrient prices proceed to increase, lodging continuing to beryllium retired of reach, and each these things are affecting each regions of the province," Stewart said.

There was 1 country that was a "glimmer of hope," Wilhelm said and that is that somewhat less individuals and families visited nutrient hamper programs.

"This suggests that, for immoderate households, circumstances whitethorn beryllium stabilizing oregon assemblage supports are helping them marque ends conscionable a small longer," she said. "While this is encouraging, acold excessively galore inactive trust connected exigency nutrient programs long-term.” 

Help from community

Fall nutrient drives person wrapped up but present the absorption volition present beryllium connected vacation nutrient and money drives to assistance the nutrient slope proceed to service radical successful Waterloo region.

Wilhelm says this enactment from the assemblage is invaluable.

"Without generous nutrient and monetary donations, we couldn’t restock our shelves, capable captious inventory gaps, support our warehouse, oregon support our transportation trucks connected the road," she said.

Wilhelm noted the nutrient slope besides relies connected 4,800 dedicated volunteers who be fundraising events oregon enactment successful the warehouse, each with the purpose to "ensure nary 1 successful our assemblage goes hungry.”