Christmas delivery hamper program ends as holiday food assistance takes new shape

Demand for the House of Friendship’s food hamper program has increased so much they’ve had to make a major change. CTV’s Jeff Pickel tells us how it will help t

An organization in Waterloo Region is changing how they help families in need this holiday season.

Last year, the House of Friendship Christmas Food Hamper Program gave out 4,700 turkeys in Kitchener and Waterloo.

Despite the staggering number of families who received assistance, the organization still turned some people away.

“We had spots for 4,700 folks for a stand-alone Christmas-specific food hamper and thousands of families were left out,” Clare Wagner, director of community services with the House of Friendship, said.

Registration was full for the program in just four days. All told, approximately 8,000 people tried to register for the program.

House of Friendship has now decided to make some changes for the 2025 season, including doing away with the registration and delivery system.

“We’re shifting from a model where folks have to register here in the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo to be able to access food throughout the Christmas season,” Wagner explained.

The hope is they can provide 2,000 additional meals this year.

People are encouraged to access the emergency food support program that is closest to them through the Community Food Assistance Network.

The House of Friendship’s Emergency Food Hamper Program currently runs out of 807 Guelph Street in Kitchener, Monday through Friday, between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Officials at the House of Friendship said they expect more than 6,500 families will ask for help this season.

Instead of a hamper tailormade for the holidays, the organization will shift to focus on providing ongoing access to food resources.

“Everybody will leave us with some food. Exactly what food we can offer different people will vary by site and day, but we’re going to connect more people with that food for the Christmas season than we have before,” Wagner said.

A big part of that effort comes from the involvement of the Kitchener Conestoga Rotary Club and their Turkey Drive, which has been a crucial fundraiser for the program.

The club is onboard with the organization’s pivot.

“We pretty quickly understood that [the changes] made a lot of sense and that [House of Friendship] were the best people to make those judgements,” Michael Gillespie, from the Kitchener Conestoga Rotary Club, said.

“Generous support from donors, including the Kitchener Conestoga Rotary’s Turkey Drive, will continue and volunteers will still have opportunities to serve families at Christmas through our food program,” Wagner said.

Volunteers and donations will be needed to make the season bright for as many people as possible.

“We’re really excited to bring folks along who want to still help us with this new approach,” Wagner said. “At the end of the day, doing our mission and not leaving folks out who need support is at the heart of us.”