It started out in a living room helping a handful of families. Now the Food4Kids program helps more than 500 students across Waterloo Region every week.
“We have approximately 2,500 severely food insecure kids,” says executive director Kelly-Sue Oberle. “That means kids who are going home to virtually nothing.”
The program delivers bags full of food to different schools in Waterloo Region at the end of the school week, so children have food to eat for the weekend.
Children are identified by principals, teachers, child and youth workers, and social workers in the schools.
“The bags that go out to these kids don’t have any print on it,” Oberle said. “It looks just like a normal grocery bag.”
The program is run entirely by volunteers who sort, pack, and deliver the food every week.
Oberle says there’s still a gap of about 2,000 children they’re not able to help.
Funding the program is an ongoing challenge: feeding each child costs roughly $1,000 a year.
“We’ve gotten out into the community, and have asked them to help with just one child,” she said. “Then we can slowly start to dwindle down that number as far as reaching the kids that we need.”
Learn more about the Food4Kids program Monday, June 10 on In Your Backyard with Stu Gooden on CTV News at 5.
