Manitoba Harvest's Meals2Go expansion is now feeding 100s of students in Brandon
A new food program in Brandon is taking the first steps in helping ensure food-insecure students are not studying hungry over the weekend by giving them nutritious snacks.
Harvest Manitoba made its first delivery of abut 600 Meals2Go to students at Brandon's Betty Gibson and King George schools on Thursday. The weekend breakfast program started in Winnipeg and recently expanded to Brandon and Opaskwayak Cree Nation.
It's currently feeding 5,000 students each week in 15 schools.
King George Grade 8 student Dominic Reyes has friends who come to school hungry, he says. He's grateful they'll get snacks from Meals2Go and has been counting down to the first delivery.
"Some people … don't have any snacks for the whole day," Reyes said. "It's sad to see."
Reyes was one of about a dozen Grade 7 and 8 students who volunteered to unload the first Meals2Go delivery at King George School. He helped bring in a palette of lunch kits containing fresh dairy, fruit and veggies, along with cereals, granola bars and other treats.
King George School principal Robert Dinsdale says high food prices are hurting students and their families. He's heard from parents who are feeling the extreme costs of a bag of groceries.
"There's a lot of families that food insecurity is a real concern," he said. "We know that well-fed students are better set up to learn."
He says the consistency and security of food from Meals2Go will give students and their families peace of mind because every weekend they'll know they're getting healthy food to bring home.
Grade 8 student Erick Cerquera says while carrying in the boxes of food was heavy work, he was excited to see everyone working together to get his friends fed.
"I wanted to be in it and help because it feels … good. It's a good thing for all of us," Cerquera said. "There was a lot of good stuff and it was helping kids that didn't have breakfast."
Cerquera says his friends who don't always have food when they're hungry were all looking forward to to the first Meals2Go delivery.
Mika Peterson, Harvest Manitoba's director of community Ppograms, says each snack bag costs about $6. The bags are packed by volunteers in Winnipeg and then sent to Brandon.
Peterson hopes Harvest Manitoba can expand the program to more schools as soon as possible.
"If there's hungry kids, we want to meet that need as quickly and as efficiently as we can," Peterson said.
Demand on the rise
Manitoba Harvest was able to expand into Brandon due to recent funding from donors and the provincial government, Peterson said. They want to expand to serve the entire province — including in northern Manitoba — because they know families are struggling with rising food costs.
"Times are a little bit tricky right now and things are expensive, and there's a lot of different reasons that families [are in] need," Peterson said. "We can help get families the food that they need and … ultimately the kids."
Manitoba Harvest has seen steadily increasing number of families needing help to cover food costs. In Brandon, Samaritan House Ministries Food Bank provided hampers to 3,332 households in 2024 — including 1,388 children.
Dinsdale says a lot of his students have experienced food insecurity. Seeing the community step up to support them is really meaningful because it shows people want to help.
John Zilkey, Brandon School Division superintendent for curriculum and HR, says Betty Gibson and King George were selected for Meals2Go because students at those schools would benefit the most from the program.
He says funding has been secured for this year, and the program is a continual program. His hope is to see the program expand to the other schools in the division soon.
For now, Cerquera says he appreciates that people are willing to step up and help hungry kids.
"That's a lot of money for you to use on us, which is very nice because you're going out of your way for us," he said, adding he's exciting for his first Meal2Go. "I'm gonna eat it at home as a little snack, a treat for me."
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Winnipeg Free Press
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- Winnipeg Free Press
Sikh charity's food drive brings in 11,000 pounds for Harvest Manitoba, Main Street Project
A Sikh non-profit handed out over 11,000 pounds of donated goods to food banks across Winnipeg Saturday in hopes of making a dent in the rising level of need. While Khalsa Aid is an international charity that provides disaster relief across the world, Manitoba's chapter focuses on feeding people in need, typically through bi-weekly meal programming for international students. Their food drives, which happen twice a year, go out to food banks through Harvest Manitoba and Main Street Project to feed the wider community. 'They always come and tell us how their donations have gone down too, so whatever we can donate, they really appreciate it,' Varinder Kaur Ghuman said Saturday. MALAK ABAS /FREE PRESS Khalsa Aid Manitoba volunteers Gurneet, 16, and Harjas, 15, stock baby formula, the most-requested item at Saturday's food drive. 'The need has never declined, it has always increased.' Thousands of pounds of food were stacked in the Khalsa Aid Manitoba building on Logan Street by Saturday afternoon, with dozens of volunteers sorting through rice, canned goods, lentils and other essentials. Ghuman said baby formula was the most-requested item. Every two weeks, Khalsa Aid Manitoba feeds between 100 to 250 international students, and have been holding food drives for ten years. Both initiatives speak to Sikh culture's focus on generosity and giving, Ghuman said. 'Being a Sikh organization, we have always been based on the Sikh principle of donating,' she said. 'So people really come out and donate for whatever way they can.' Harvest Manitoba did not have to purchase food to hand out until COVID-19 hit, and today, about 60 per cent of the food being provided is bought by Harvest. At the same time, as the cost of living rises, the number of people accessing food banks has gone up 150 per cent, said Ashley Routhier-Evans, their community events and food drives associate. '(Khalsa Aid) is one of our largest food drives that goes on. We have been so grateful for the support within the community over the years,' she said. 'It definitely helps get a lot of food sent out to Manitobans in need, as the need has never been greater.' Along with food programs, Khalsa Aid Manitoba is beginning a series of seminars helping newcomers to the province adjust to Canada — with topics ranging from cultural niceties to worker's rights and protections. Sudhir Sandhu, a volunteer who held the first seminar series several weeks last month, said the program is an attempt to fill the cultural gap that might have been filled in prior decades by immigrants who had more family supports in Canada, and teach students how to spot predatory working practices and even traffickers that target young newcomers. MALAK ABAS /FREE PRESS Volunteers at Khalsa Aid Manitoba's food drive Saturday post in front of piles of food donated by the Sikh community. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'I really marvel at how a lot of kids that are 18, 19, young men, women, are packing up two suitcases and landing in Canada with absolutely no support,' he said. 'And Canada has not a good done a good job of providing support, both, particularly social, psychological support — they are adjusting to an entirely new environment that's universes apart from where they're coming from. So we find students struggle.' The sessions will be held again later this summer as new international students come to Manitoba. Anyone interested in donating to Khalsa Aid or learning more about programming should email Malak AbasReporter Malak Abas is a city reporter at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg's North End, she led the campus paper at the University of Manitoba before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Malak. Every piece of reporting Malak produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CBC
31-01-2025
- CBC
Manitoba Harvest's Meals2Go expansion is now feeding 100s of students in Brandon
A new food program in Brandon is taking the first steps in helping ensure food-insecure students are not studying hungry over the weekend by giving them nutritious snacks. Harvest Manitoba made its first delivery of abut 600 Meals2Go to students at Brandon's Betty Gibson and King George schools on Thursday. The weekend breakfast program started in Winnipeg and recently expanded to Brandon and Opaskwayak Cree Nation. It's currently feeding 5,000 students each week in 15 schools. King George Grade 8 student Dominic Reyes has friends who come to school hungry, he says. He's grateful they'll get snacks from Meals2Go and has been counting down to the first delivery. "Some people … don't have any snacks for the whole day," Reyes said. "It's sad to see." Reyes was one of about a dozen Grade 7 and 8 students who volunteered to unload the first Meals2Go delivery at King George School. He helped bring in a palette of lunch kits containing fresh dairy, fruit and veggies, along with cereals, granola bars and other treats. King George School principal Robert Dinsdale says high food prices are hurting students and their families. He's heard from parents who are feeling the extreme costs of a bag of groceries. "There's a lot of families that food insecurity is a real concern," he said. "We know that well-fed students are better set up to learn." He says the consistency and security of food from Meals2Go will give students and their families peace of mind because every weekend they'll know they're getting healthy food to bring home. Grade 8 student Erick Cerquera says while carrying in the boxes of food was heavy work, he was excited to see everyone working together to get his friends fed. "I wanted to be in it and help because it feels … good. It's a good thing for all of us," Cerquera said. "There was a lot of good stuff and it was helping kids that didn't have breakfast." Cerquera says his friends who don't always have food when they're hungry were all looking forward to to the first Meals2Go delivery. Mika Peterson, Harvest Manitoba's director of community Ppograms, says each snack bag costs about $6. The bags are packed by volunteers in Winnipeg and then sent to Brandon. Peterson hopes Harvest Manitoba can expand the program to more schools as soon as possible. "If there's hungry kids, we want to meet that need as quickly and as efficiently as we can," Peterson said. Demand on the rise Manitoba Harvest was able to expand into Brandon due to recent funding from donors and the provincial government, Peterson said. They want to expand to serve the entire province — including in northern Manitoba — because they know families are struggling with rising food costs. "Times are a little bit tricky right now and things are expensive, and there's a lot of different reasons that families [are in] need," Peterson said. "We can help get families the food that they need and … ultimately the kids." Manitoba Harvest has seen steadily increasing number of families needing help to cover food costs. In Brandon, Samaritan House Ministries Food Bank provided hampers to 3,332 households in 2024 — including 1,388 children. Dinsdale says a lot of his students have experienced food insecurity. Seeing the community step up to support them is really meaningful because it shows people want to help. John Zilkey, Brandon School Division superintendent for curriculum and HR, says Betty Gibson and King George were selected for Meals2Go because students at those schools would benefit the most from the program. He says funding has been secured for this year, and the program is a continual program. His hope is to see the program expand to the other schools in the division soon. For now, Cerquera says he appreciates that people are willing to step up and help hungry kids. "That's a lot of money for you to use on us, which is very nice because you're going out of your way for us," he said, adding he's exciting for his first Meal2Go. "I'm gonna eat it at home as a little snack, a treat for me."
CBC
06-12-2024
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Women make up more than two-thirds of food bank clients, Harvest Manitoba's 2024 report says
Social Sharing More than two-thirds of the food bank clients who responded to Harvest Manitoba's latest survey are women, a marked change from past surveys. The Harvest Voices 2024 report, released this week, tells the stories of some of the clients of Harvest Manitoba — the province's biggest food bank — and looks at key factors that drive people to rely on food banks. It's based on a survey done via phone, email and in person at food banks from May to September 2024, with 649 responses from clients offering a snapshot of food bank use during those months. Meaghan Erbus, the advocacy and impact manager at Harvest Manitoba, noted a shift from last year's report. "The number through the demographics that we would see would be single males. Now what we're seeing is the majority of folks accessing our food banks are women, around the age of 40," she said. The increase is due to a number of factors, Erbus said. "Women are disproportionately affected by poverty because they are often caregivers, whether that's a caregiver to children or to an older adult in their family," she said. This makes it harder for women to find viable employment, and they end up taking low-paying jobs, she said. Among the people who took part in the survey, 45 per cent were employed either part-time or full time, 62 per cent had children and 50 per cent lived with disabilities. 'A lifesaver' Survey participant Kehinde Jasper is among the 50,000 people Manitoba Harvest says use food banks every month. Jasper came to Winnipeg from Nigeria in April 2023 as an international student. Her four kids now live with her here, while her husband is still in Nigeria and plans to join them soon. In addition to being a full-time student, she works 20 hours a week, but doesn't earn enough to make ends meet, she said. At a grocery store, "you buy something very small and then you're paying, like, $100 beyond," she said. But "you go to Harvest Manitoba, they give you something like double of what you buy." Jasper visits the food bank once a month and gets a supply of items to cook nutritious meals for her family, she said. "The last time they gave me some kale, broccoli, green pepper — canned food too. For my daughter, who is six, they gave her milk. They gave carbohydrates, protein — you know, everything for a balanced diet." She's grateful for the support they have received, and sometimes volunteers for Harvest Manitoba. She hopes to be an entrepreneur one day and help more people like her. "It's a lifesaver. It helps you in a lot of things, coming from wherever — most of us are immigrants here." Jasper says the help from the food bank came when she needed it the most, and she and her daughters look forward to the visits and restocking their supplies each month. "Honestly, it's a big deal for me. It's a wonderful experience. It's something that's thrilled me and made me very emotional." 66% make $20K or less per year: report Katherine Romane, another person featured in the report, lives with two friends. With Romane's income supporting the entire household until recently, she struggled for two years to keep up with inflation and balancing bills. "They're diabetic — you know, I need to make sure food is in the house. So I ended up getting in touch with Harvest, who helped us out with monthly food bank appointments for the two years." But since one of the people she lives with was recently approved for Canada Pension Plan disability benefits, they no longer have to rely on the services of the food bank for now, said Romane. But while they did, the supplies they got sometimes didn't go far enough in her household, since they're based on a client's physical address, rather than the number of families at the address, she said. "Unfortunately … a lot of people are in the position where they're being forced to cohabitate because of the financial crisis everybody's in," Romane said. Housing costs, inflation and low hourly wages are among the factors driving up reliance on food banks, said Harvest's Erbus. According to its report, 66 per cent of respondents said that they make $20,000 or less per year, which is below what is considered the poverty line for a single person in Manitoba. Most clients (58 per cent) said they use food banks due to a general lack of income to make ends meet, while other other reasons included loss of a job (15 per cent) or being a newcomer (14 per cent). The report also outlines 10 recommendations to help address the pressures food bank clients face, including considering a universal basic income, or "livable basic needs benefit," to "ensure no household is left living below the poverty line in Manitoba." It also recommends increasing spending on social assistance, raising the minimum wage (currently $15.80 per hour) to keep up with inflation, creating a provincewide food security strategy, improving access to skills training and educational opportunities, and ensuring child care is accessible and affordable.
