Food4Kids Hamilton

What Food4Kids Hamilton does

Food4Kids Hamilton is a registered Canadian charity (#83329 7484 RR0001) founded in 2012 in Stoney Creek, Ontario, that addresses weekend and summer hunger among school-aged children in Hamilton. The organization operates three core programs: the Weekends Without Hunger program, which provides weekly food packages (including fresh fruit, soups, and healthy snacks) packed at a single warehouse and delivered every Thursday to nearly 100 partner schools where the food is placed discreetly in students' backpacks; a Summer Program that mails grocery gift cards to registered families during July and August; and a High School Program piloted in 2018 that now serves over 300 students. The revenue model is non-commercial: services are free to beneficiaries, and the organization is funded through a mix of individual donations (including recurring monthly donors described as the financial foundation), corporate sponsorships and grants (Ontario Trillium Foundation, Hamilton Community Foundation), and recurring fundraising events (Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign, HPFFA Charity Golf Tournament, Breakfast Gala).

Operations are volunteer-driven — 50+ volunteers pack and deliver weekly — with a small staff of approximately seven employees (Executive Director Cathy Haan, School Liaison Nancy Phelan, Program Coordinator Shannon Hughes) plus a Board of Directors led by Chair Lisa Neale. The technology posture is deliberately minimal: no proprietary software, no app, and no AI components; the platform is a warehouse-and-routes logistics model mediated by school-board referral pipelines (HWDSB and HWCDSB). Distribution is exclusive to the Hamilton catchment in Ontario, Canada, with no public revenue or audited financials disclosed.

Name

Food4Kids Hamilton

Legal name

Food4Kids Hamilton

Website

https://food4kidshamilton.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Food4Kids Hamilton is a registered Canadian charity, founded in 2012, that provides weekend food packages to over 1,000 elementary and high school students across nearly 100 schools in Hamilton, Ontario, extending to a summer grocery gift card program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

Keywords

• Child hunger relief
• Weekend food programs
• Food insecurity services
• School food assistance
• Charitable food programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Stoney Creek (Hamilton)

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly donations from individuals. Monthly donors are described as the foundation of the organization providing stability and enabling growth. Tax receipts issued for donations of $20 or more.
2. Fundraising Events: Annual events including Breakfast Gala, HPFFA Charity Golf Tournament, Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign, and community fundraisers. Proceeds support the food programs.
3. Corporate Grants and Sponsorships: One-time grants and corporate sponsorships from businesses, foundations, and community organizations (e.g., Ontario Trillium Foundation, Hamilton Community Foundation).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Food4Kids Hamilton is a registered Canadian charity that provides healthy weekend food packages to elementary and secondary school students (ages 4-18) referred by schools due to limited or no access to food at home. Food is purchased, packed by volunteers at a warehouse, and discreetly delivered to schools each Thursday for distribution into students' backpacks. The organization also operates a Summer Program that mails grocery gift cards to registered students during July and August when schools are closed.

Product overview

Food4Kids Hamilton is a non-profit organization (registered Canadian Charity #83329 7484 RR0001) offering three core charitable programs: the Weekends Without Hunger program (providing food packages to elementary and secondary students on weekends during the school year), the Summer Program (mailing grocery gift cards to registered families during July-August), and the High School Program (supporting students who have graduated from elementary into high school). The organization also participates in annual fundraising initiatives including the Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign. The programs work together to address food insecurity for children aged 4-18 across Hamilton-area schools, with food packed by volunteers and delivered discreetly to students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekends Without Hunger School-year weekend food package program for children aged 4-18 referred by schools. Volunteers pack healthy food items, including fresh fruit, soups, and snacks, that are delivered to schools each Thursday morning and discreetly tucked into each student's backpack.
• High School Program Weekend food package program piloted in 2018 for high school students who have transitioned from elementary programs or are newly identified as food-insecure. Currently serves over 300 high school students across Hamilton.
• Summer Grocery Card Program Summer support program that mails grocery store gift cards to all students registered in the program during July and August when schools are closed and school-based food programs are unavailable.

Quantifiable outcome

• Expanded from 3 schools (2012) to nearly 100 schools currently serving students in Hamilton
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Carmen's Event CentreminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 December 2025Venue sponsor for the 2025 Breakfast Gala at 1520 Stone Church Rd E, Hamilton, ON L8W 3P9.
• Food4Kids Network (Halton, Muskoka, Niagara, Toronto, Mississauga)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 December 2025Food4Kids Hamilton is part of a broader Food4Kids network across Ontario. Chapters include Food4Kids Halton, Food4Kids Muskoka, Food4Kids Niagara, Food4Kids Toronto, and Food4Kids Mississauga. Organizations share best practices and attend each other's events.
• Tim HortonscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign is a major annual fundraiser. Tim Hortons restaurants in Hamilton sell Smile Cookies with proceeds supporting Food4Kids Hamilton and Hamilton Food Share. Volunteers decorate cookies at local Tim Hortons locations during the campaign period (typically late April to early May). 100% of Hamilton Smile Cookie proceeds support the program.
• Hamilton Food SharecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHamilton Food Share is a key community partner. The Smile Cookie campaign proceeds are shared between Food4Kids Hamilton and Hamilton Food Share. Both organizations work together to address food insecurity in Hamilton.
• Hamilton Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 288 (HPFFA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerHPFFA is a major supporter organizing annual charity golf tournaments that have raised significant funds ($32,000 in recent year). Members volunteer at packing events and participate in various fundraisers throughout the year.
• Hamilton Police ServicecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHamilton Police Service assists with fundraising, awareness, food packing at warehouse, and delivery to schools. Police officers and staff volunteer regularly, including Chief Bergen and Deputy Chiefs. Mountain Squad D has set packing records at the warehouse.
• Hamilton Tiger-CatsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHamilton Tiger-Cats football team players volunteer at packing events. Wynton McManis and Stavros Anastasios Katsantonis have participated in warehouse volunteer days.
• Tandia Financial Credit UnioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresented the 2025 Breakfast Gala. Key sponsor providing financial support for major annual fundraising event.
• Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school board referring students to the program. Schools identify students with limited food access and submit referrals and parental permission forms.
• Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWCDSB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner Catholic school board referring students to the program. Schools identify students with limited food access and submit referrals and parental permission forms.
• Scharringa GreenhousesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides flower donations for Flowers4Mom initiative. Volunteers deliver flower baskets to Hamilton homes on Mother's Day weekend. Partnership has continued for 4 years.
• Hamilton Sports GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMonthly volunteers who pack food bags at the warehouse alongside Stelco representatives. Regular group volunteer sessions for the program.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Broad incumbents

• Food Banks Canada: National umbrella organization representing the Canadian food bank network. While not a school-specific program, it shapes the funding, policy, and donation landscape in which Food4Kids Hamilton operates.
• Second Harvest: Canada's largest food rescue organization redirecting surplus food to nonprofits including school feeding programs. Operates at the upstream food supply side of the same child food insecurity mission Food4Kids Hamilton addresses downstream.
• Breakfast Club of Canada: National nonprofit providing school breakfast programs across Canada. Targets child hunger in school settings but earlier in the day, serving as a complementary — and competing for donor attention — incumbent in the school-based child nutrition category.
• Daily Bread Food Bank: Toronto-based food bank serving the GTA and surrounding regions. Competes with Food4Kids chapters for individual and corporate donations within Ontario, though it focuses on broader household food assistance rather than school-specific weekend feeding.
• Hamilton Food Share: Hamilton's regional food bank and a core partner of Food4Kids Hamilton, sharing Smile Cookie proceeds. Operates a broader community food distribution mandate rather than a school-specific program, making it a broader incumbent in the same local food assistance space.

Direct peers

• Food4Kids Halton: Sibling chapter of the Food4Kids Ontario network delivering weekend food packages to school-identified students in Halton Region. Operates the same backpack-delivery model and shares the Food4Kids Hamilton playbook, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Food4Kids Mississauga: Mississauga chapter of the Food4Kids Ontario network, executing the same weekend food bag model through local school partnerships. Highly comparable in mission, beneficiary age range, and school-based delivery mechanism.
• Food4Kids Toronto: Toronto chapter of the Food4Kids network offering school-based weekend food programs to students in the GTA. Uses the same program design and is part of the cross-chapter network Food4Kids Hamilton collaborates with.
• Food4Kids Niagara: Another Food4Kids Ontario chapter providing weekend food bags to food-insecure students through local schools. Mirrors Food4Kids Hamilton's referral, packing, and backpack-distribution model within a different regional school system.

Regional players

• Food4Kids Muskoka: Muskoka-region Food4Kids chapter serving rural and small-town school communities. Operates the same weekend feeding program but in a distinct geographic and demographic context from Hamilton.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/food4kidshamont
• Facebookfacebook.com/Food4KidsNow
• Instagraminstagram.com/food4kidshamilton
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/food4kids-hamilton

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Food4Kids Hamilton