A Healthier Future without Hunger

Fighting Hunger in Manitoba

Twenty-six years ago, Freda turned to a food bank for the first time while caring for her four children. Today, her family has grown to include five children, aged 40, 38, 36, 30, and 26, with various health challenges including deafness, autism, diabetes, or a combination of these conditions. Her household includes nine people, with her father, grandson, and boyfriend also sharing the home. Freda and her family rely on Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) to make ends meet. After she pays her $260 hydro bill, she's left with just $105 for groceries per month. Fortunately, getting food from Harvest Manitoba's food banks has made a significant impact in helping Freda stretch her grocery budget. Additionally, our volunteers have taught her food preservation techniques, recipes, and cooking tips. Freda shares an encouraging message for those who may feel ashamed to seek help from food banks: “Don't be ashamed. If you need it, you need it. You can always pay it forward later.”

Background

Harvest Manitoba is Manitoba's food bank. We support food security programs through 389 agency partners in 46 communities across the province including Indigenous communities in Northern Manitoba. These programs help over 100,000 people every month through food banks, soup kitchens, school nutrition programs, daycares, resource centers and other organizations. For those employed, wages cannot keep up with rising prices. For those living on benefits, including disability benefits and social assistance, individuals and families are forced to make impossible decisions between paying the bills or putting food on the table. For seniors on fixed incomes, the erosion of buying power is causing many to have a greatly diminished quality of life. The high inflation of recent years is driving up the price of everything from school supplies to lunch kit snacks. Supports for families raising children so often fail to keep pace with costs, leaving the most vulnerable behind. Manitoba is not alone in the issues we face. All across Canada, more people than ever before are using food banks to get through the month – nearly 2 million people a month in 2023. It does not need to be this way. Although the numbers we see now have never been higher, there are solutions for change that can make people's lives better.

The good deed

Amidst the distribution of an astounding 18 million pounds of food this year, our partners have admirably stepped up to the challenge, allowing us to feed a record number of Manitobans. Across Canada, demand for food banks continues to hit record levels. Rising prices for food and other basics are stretching household budgets to the limit. Harvest Manitoba is serving more food bank hampers than ever before. Each donation is used to purchase and distribute food to food banks across Manitoba. As we move forward with renewed determination, we firmly believe in the power of community and compassion. With your help, we will build a brighter future where no Manitoban goes hungry and where the promise of sustenance, support, and hope flourishes in every heart.