Friendship House received more than 1,000 applications within an hour of opening registration for its Christmas food program.

The battle for a spot on the list to get a frozen turkey and gift card led to the Kitchener-based organization’s phone line crashing and, at one point, a queue of 986 people on its website.

The group says the program allows people to share a holiday meal with their loved ones.

That number is up from the previous record of about 300 people, said Clare Wagner, director of community services for the House of Friendship.

She said they had prepared for higher needs this year, but the volume of demand was still more than expected.

“It was really upsetting and not what we were hoping to see,” Wagner told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo. The morning edition. “But…it wasn’t a complete surprise either.”

Wagner said compared to the same time last year, they are delivering more than 20 per cent more food baskets to residents in the Waterloo region. But they are not alone. According to the Waterloo Region Food Bank 2024 Community Impact Reportapproximately 73,000 people accessed food assistance programs through the food bank’s branch network more than 565,000 times in the past year, representing a 25 percent increase from the previous year.

This is the highest demand in the history of the food bank and the Friendship House.

“We knew it was going to increase, but not to this level,” Wagner said.

“We know that aid has not kept up with the cost of living, so people are making choices,” Wagner said. “They have to pay their rent and utilities, and food sometimes falls off the table. »

The Friendship House food baskets support 4,600 households, representing about 16,000 people and Wagner said they are nearing the limit – however, registration is still open.

She said even when the list is complete and basket registrations close, they will make sure people know about other programs they can take advantage of during the holiday season.

When it comes to food donations, Kim Wilhelm, CEO of the Waterloo Region Food Bank, said foods high in protein and low in sodium are the most popular foods.

As we enter the colder months, Wilhelm said “some hearty stews and chili are really important. Things like pasta, canned meat and fish.”

For more information or to find out how to donate, visit houseoffriendship.org.