Fewer people sought help, but the pattern is changing
The Food Bank of Waterloo Region is reporting a mixed picture in its latest annual community impact report: fewer people accessed food assistance during the past year, but many of those who did needed to return to food distribution programs repeatedly.
The report covers the period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. It brings attention to the difference between the number of people seeking assistance and the frequency with which households rely on that support. For the food bank, a decline in the first measure does not necessarily mean that food insecurity has eased across the region.
“While fewer people access food assistance this year, the households that continue to need support are relying on it so much more often.”
Kim Wilhelm, chief executive officer of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, said the increased frequency of visits is an important part of the report's findings. In an interview carried by CBC K-W's The Morning Edition, Wilhelm described repeat use as an indication that food insecurity is becoming more entrenched for some people living in Waterloo region.
What the report shows
- The number of individuals accessing food assistance fell over the reporting year.
- Households that continued to need help returned to food programs more often.
- The food bank says repeat visits provide a fuller picture of the pressure facing people experiencing food insecurity.
That distinction matters for residents and organizations working to respond to hunger in Kitchener, Waterloo and the surrounding region. A lower total number of people using food programs can appear encouraging on its own. However, the report indicates that the people who remain dependent on those programs may be facing needs that last longer or require more frequent assistance.
Volunteers continue to sort donated items at the food bank's warehouse, where supplies are prepared for distribution through food assistance programs. The organization released the report as it works to describe the experience of households seeking help, rather than relying only on a single annual count.
A continuing challenge for the region
Wilhelm said the findings show that the issue is not simply how many people need support. The repeated visits reported over the year suggest that some households are not moving quickly out of food insecurity, making the consistency of assistance an important consideration for the region's food programs.
For people who use food hampers and other distribution services, the report's findings point to an ongoing need for access to those programs. For community organizations, the results underline the importance of tracking both participation and repeat use when assessing the scale of food insecurity in Waterloo region.
The food bank's report does not present the reduction in users as a complete resolution. Instead, it describes a community in which fewer people sought food assistance overall, while those still seeking help often came back month after month. That continuing reliance is the central concern identified by the organization.
