On October 17th we were joined by Kelly-Sue Oberle, Executive Director of Food4Kids.
Kelly-Sue has enjoyed careers in both For-Profit and Non-Profit/Charitable organizations. She had managed the operations of a growing charity, Nutrition for Learning in Waterloo Region, and recently founded the charity, Food4Kids Waterloo Wellington which focuses on feeding severely food insecure children on weekends.
A food insecure home is where the entire family does not eat. There are over 2500 children in our community under the age of 14 that live in a food insecure home. Without proper food a young person’s mental health diminishes as their mind cannot fully grow. Although there are other food program’s in our community, there are gaps in those programs on both Holiday’s and Weekend’s. Many of the homes with Children in need have parents that have a mental illness or the parent is unable work to feed their kids. Less than 20% in the food insecure program are accessing the Food Bank. Parents can’t get to the Food Bank due to working a lot to try and make ends meet or they have a Mental Illness.
Currently the Food4Kids program takes care of 400 children. The cost is quite low at $10/ child to cover the weekend. The food is given to children at their school (in discrete bags that they can put in their knapsack) for them to take home on Friday’s. The program will help all of the children in the family, so even children that may not be attending school will receive a package from their sibling. Special Dietary foods are also available.
Kids that are not fed properly tend to act out and many get in trouble with the law as kids feel responsible in some way that about the food issue at home. Since they can’t help their parents bring in any money to buy food, they feel hopeless. Food fixes many community problems as kids feel a purpose, and a balanced meal = being Healthy.
Unfortunately the attrition rate is non-existent as once the kids/ family is in, they stay in this situation.
Help is required to deliver the packages to homes, especially during the Christmas school break.
For more information visit - www.food4kidswaterloowellington.ca