Local food champions talk about the work they do to help people in Waterloo region

Each December, CBC holds its Make The Season Kind campaign, which raises food and funds for food banks across the country.

In Waterloo region, CBC K-W's campaign raises money for The Food Bank of Waterloo Region.

A report in October from the food bank showed one in eight households in the region struggled to afford food. That was up from one in 20 households in 2020.

"We're seeing a drastic increase," food bank CEO Kim Wilhelm said at the time.

"Over the last couple of years, the cost of everyday living is increasing," she added.

"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."

To kick off the Make The Season Kind campaign, CBC K-W held a show at TheMuseum in downtown Kitchener on Dec. 6. Below are videos of the interviews done that night.

WATCH | Food bank CEO, long-time volunteer talk about increasing community need:

Food bank CEO, long-time volunteer talk about increasing community need

25 days ago

Duration 8:18

During CBC K-W's Make The Season Kind show on Dec. 6 at TheMuseum, Kim Wilhelm, CEO of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, and long-time volunteer Amanda Stanzel talked about the work the food bank does in the community and how the organization is striving to meet the growing demand for its service.

WATCH | 3 students on why they volunteer at their Hindu temple:

3 students on why they volunteer at their Hindu temple

21 days ago

Duration 3:53

During CBC K-W's Make The Season Kind event at TheMuseum in Kitchener on Dec. 6, three volunteers from the Radha Krishna Mandir Hindu temple in Cambridge spoke about the work they do, which includes helping feed fellow international students. Shreya Tripathi, Akshay Sharma and Yogesh Sharma explain why they enjoy volunteering and how they've found a sense of community at the temple.

WATCH | Mother, daughters on why they keep volunteering at Kitchener's Tiny Home Takeout:

Mother, daughters on why they keep volunteering at Kitchener's Tiny Home Takeout

18 days ago

Duration 6:16

Nada Offak and her daughters Andrea and Dani have been volunteering at Kitchener's Tiny Home Takeout since day one. They are now an integral part of a service that fills the bellies of so many local people in need. They spoke to The Morning Edition's host Craig Norris at CBC K-W's Make The Season Kind kick-off event on Dec. 6.

WATCH | Long-time Food4Kids volunteer says program 'makes a real difference':

Long-time Food4Kids volunteer says program 'makes a real difference'

15 days ago

Duration 6:43

Bryan Hamilton has volunteered for seven years for the group Food4Kids Waterloo Region, which provides food to students for when they're not in school. He spoke about his volunteer work during CBC K-W's Make The Season Kind show on Dec. 6 at TheMuseum in downtown Kitchener.

WATCH | Chef Terry Salmond on using his love of food to help others:

Chef Terry Salmond on using his love of food to help others

17 days ago

Duration 8:47

People will know Kitchener, Ont., chef Terry Salmond for his work in local kitchens, as the culinary director of Lighthouse Culinary Services and as the runner-up on season 4 of Top Chef Canada. But during CBC K-W's Make The Season Kind show on Dec. 6 at TheMuseum in downtown Kitchener, he also spoke about his work as the food and nutrition co-ordinator for Women's Crisis Services of Waterloo Region.

Throughout the month of December, Make The Season Kind is a CBC campaign that raises food and funds for local food banks.

• Learn more about the CBC K-W campaign here