With schools and businesses closing, job and wage losses, vulnerable and isolated adults, the demand for food in local communities across the province is steadily increasing. Winnipeg Harvest and its partner organizations have become front-line responders during this coronavirus crisis.
Winnipeg Harvest is the principal distributor of food to Manitobans in need. In a normal month, they provide food support to 70,000 people including 25,000 children via 300 food banks and agencies across the province – but that number is rapidly rising.
Calls to their Emergency Food Line are up 30%, and food donations are down 60%. With school and daycare closures, kids who rely on weekly food programs no longer have access to a reliable source of daily food.
Unprecedented layoffs and job losses are causing significant financial stress for families, especially those living pay cheque to pay cheque. An estimated 64,000 Manitobans have applied for EI (4% of Canada’s 1.6 million).
Winnipeg Harvest anticipates they will need to feed a record 90,000 Manitobans in April – and that number will rise as things get tighter for everyone.
We want to do our part to help to ensure our friends and neighbours have enough food to eat during this uncertain time.
If you have placed an order with us and are taking advantage of our Free City Wide Delivery, we're asking (if you can) to leave a non-perishable food item on your doorstep for us to pick up and deliver it to Winnipeg Harvest.
Winnipeg Harvest needs our support now more than ever to keep food flowing to those who need it most. By feeding vulnerable Manitobans we are nourishing our community, and our sense of community – and together, we will all harvest the benefits.
Thank you in advance for your generosity and continued support!