Food Bank of Waterloo Region surpasses summer meal collection goal

The Food Bank of Waterloo Region says about half of people who use its services are from single-person households. (Dan Lauckner / CTV Kitchener)

KITCHENER -

The Food Bank of Waterloo Region has surpassed its summer-long goal of collecting 1 million meals.

The organization announced Tuesday it collected more than 1.5 million meals during its Full Bellies Happy Hearts campaign.

“We knew 1 million meals was a challenge, so to be able to share that we surpassed our goal is a testament to how incredible this community is,” said the food bank’s CEO, Wendi Campbell, in a press release.

The initiative launched in 2019 and has raised about 3.5 million meals since.

According to the food bank, 1 in 3 children in the community don’t know where their next meal will come from, and 36 per cent of food bank recipients are under the age of 18.

People can donate through the food bank’s website, by phone or by mail using the food bank’s Alpine Court address in Kitchener.