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

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

The annual Community Impact report, released Monday, found one in eight households in the region struggle 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:

Wilhelm says 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."

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 says 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:

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