Originally posted on September 3rd to https://www.exchangemagazine.com/2020/week36/Thursday/20090306.htm#Anchor-23240
Food Banks Annual Campaign Exceeds 500,000 Meals!
While COVID-19 forced some of us to change our summer plans, the impact has been more severe for the most vulnerable people in our community.
As many people and families navigate the added stress of job loss, limited budgets, illness, and full-time childcare or home-schooling, more than 34,500 people have struggled to put food on the table.
In June The Food Bank of Waterloo Region asked the community to rise to the challenge and support Full Bellies. Happy Hearts., a summer-long campaign to raise 1/2 million meals to help ensure no one goes hungry during COVID-19 and beyond.
With your support they exceeded the goal of 1/2 million meals and raised a record-breaking 1,108,475 meals!
"We knew the goal was ambitious, especially during such a time of uncertainty. Fortunately, we live in a generous community. And you came together to help neighbors in need during this critical time", said Jennifer Judges in a news release.
"The Full Bellies. Happy Hearts. 1/2 million meal challenge is about the community coming together during a critical time of need and helping to ensure no one goes hungry", she added.
Support from corporate and community partners allows The Food Bank to navigate the fallout of the pandemic and plan for a 30 per cent increase in food assistance needs throughout the year as COVID-19 continues to unfold. The success of Full Bellies. Happy Hearts. 1/2 million meal challenge also ensures the ongoing delivery of community meal programs, emergency food hampers and shelter and residential programs. It also helps us fill gaps in our inventory, plan our food purchase strategy, and keeps our delivery vehicles on the road picking up and distributing food to the Community Food Assistance Network.
Your support makes a direct impact and difference in the lives of thousands in our community accessing food assistance.
The Food Bank of Waterloo Region is grateful to our incredibly generous matching donor, Allan Bush (photo) of CIBC Wood Gundy Waterloo.