WATERLOO REGION - A new organization wants to make sure no schoolchildren in Waterloo Region go hungry over the weekend.

Food4Kids Waterloo Wellington launched a pilot program to distribute bags of food to children who otherwise would go hungry on the weekend when they don't have access to school nutrition programs.

"It's really for families with children who are experiencing real difficulty in providing food," said executive director Kelly-Sue Oberle-Labus.

She took the post after retiring as executive director for Nutrition for Learning, which provides food to children at school.

"I've been talking about the weekend issue for many, many years because it truly is a gap in our community," Oberle-Labus said.

While there are many organizations in the community that offer free food and meals, those programs are out of reach for children who don't have the ability to ask for the help, she said.

"They're truly vulnerable."

When Oberle-Labus spoke in the community in her other role, people always asked about what was available on the weekend to ensure children are fed - and there wasn't anything.

"I always stood there with this sinking feeling," Oberle-Labus said. "This is really needed."

The charitable group is based on a Hamilton model, now in its fifth year and serving more than 1,335 kids every weekend throughout Hamilton and Halton.

The local effort is starting much smaller with its pilot project, launched earlier this month in six schools in Waterloo Region and feeding up to 120 children. It depends on donations and volunteers, and is overseen by a board.

"We know we need to be able to raise a lot more money," Oberle-Labus said.

Between 2,500 and 3,000 children in Waterloo Region are living with severe food insecurity and need the program, she said. They hope to eventually cover summers, too.

Bags filled with up to 16 items - protein, fruits, vegetables and bread products - are dropped off at the participating schools on Friday. Volunteers pack and deliver the bags, and there's one for each child.

"We try our hardest to provide a well-balanced group of food that will last them the whole weekend," Oberle-Labus said.

Along with ensuring a child gets the benefit of good nutrition, the bags also make them feel like they belong.

"It makes children feel like other children, which is all they want to do," Oberle-Labus said. "They're not hungry and they're not different."

Many of those helped through the program are from single-parent families struggling to make ends meet. Feeding the children will also help the parent eat better, making them more prepared to do what they need to during the day.

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"They try so hard and they often give up their own food to make sure their children eat properly," Oberle-Labus said.

The feedback has been great from parents, and Oberle-Labus is grateful for the community support. Volunteers and donations are needed to run and expand the program. Find out more at www.food4kidsww.ca.

"We're thrilled that we can offer this," Oberle-Labus said.

"When you see that they are able to thrive and grow and feel like they belong, there's no other feeling like it."