Martin Buhr

Martin Buhr was born in Altona, Manitoba in 1939 but moved to Waterloo to attend university, earning a Master of Social Work degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1984.

From 1978 to 1998, Martin served as Executive Director for Kitchener’s House of Friendship. During his tenure with the men’s shelter, the House of Friendship evolved into a charitable social service agency, providing food, housing, addiction treatment, and community resources to thousands across Waterloo Region.

Martin co-founded The Food Bank of Waterloo Region in 1984, which serves as the primary procurer of food supplies from corporate and individual donors. He also helped establish St. John’s Kitchen (under the governance of The Working Centre), which provides daily meals using supplies from the Food Bank.

After retiring, Martin co-founded MennoHomes Inc. in 2001, a non-profit charitable organization that provides affordable housing in Waterloo Region. As president until 2013, Martin helped build over 105 affordable housing units for seniors, singles, and families.

Being lead cyclist in the House of Friendship’s annual Trek4Kids campaign and in the MennoHomes annual Bike-a-thon, Martin has raised around $500,000 for the two non-profit agencies by obtaining pledges for his bike rides.

Currently living in a condo, where all the organic waste was going into landfill, Martin led a committee to investigate the issue. The organic waste is now being recycled and the pilot program has generated interest from other multi-residential buildings.