Sainte-Anne's food bank, Accueil Kateri Centre, has been preparing even more food supplies in recent days to help families in the town and municipality of Sainte-Anne.
President Aurèle Boisvert said the need is growing as food prices rise.
“That's why we need more money,” he says. “For example, we just finished our financial year last year and we spent more than we budgeted to keep donations at the same level, so we've had some one-off donations to help cover those extra costs. We're trying to stay optimistic. We've been doing this for 10 years and we've made it through those 10 years and it's all thanks to our volunteers and the amazing donations of people who are dedicated to supporting the food bank.”
Claudette Labac, a board member and volunteer, said it's beneficial to receive regular donations, and when there's a surplus of special items like baby food, the organization is quick to distribute the wealth.
“We get our shipments from Manitoba Harvest on the second Monday of every month, and sometimes they send us (baby food),” she said. “If we have any left over, we send it to the Steinbach Family Resource Centre.”
Boisvert noted there has been tremendous support from local grocers, who are helping the food bank make the most of every dollar and purchasing large quantities of food at sale prices.
Food banks also try to ease the pain of poverty by helping families access financial assistance programs.
Last summer, they held a special day in their parking lot where kids could enjoy fun activities while parents spent time with Canada Services officials to ensure people received all the financial benefits they were eligible for. Boisvert said they also arranged for them to get their identification.
“Some of them didn't have the proper identification,” he explains.
Last summer's event was a huge success, with children and adults excited to learn about the benefits available to them and feel a little more optimistic about their financial situations.
“Our grandmother said she couldn't believe her money was going to be able to 'stay home with my grandchildren and spend more time with them.'”
Boisvert said he plans to host the event again this summer.
