Latest News

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Blue box recycle bins now help the hungry

Winnipeg Harvest uses them to deliver food

By: Jen Skerritt

Posted: 11/25/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Janek Lowe / Winnipeg Free Press Archives

WINNIPEGGERS have donated hundreds -- and possibly even thousands -- of old blue boxes that will be used by a city food bank to deliver emergency hampers, store food and help people grow vegetables.

The City of Winnipeg recently partnered with Winnipeg Harvest in an effort to find a way for citizens to recycle unwanted blue boxes after the city-wide changeover from manual garbage and recycling collection to automated carts. Saturday marked the third day this month residents could drop off their blue boxes to donate to Winnipeg Harvest.

Donald Benham, Harvest's director of hunger and poverty awareness, said the blue boxes will be put to good use and save the organization from having to purchase similar containers. The blue boxes are less bulky than the current containers Harvest uses to collect a "tin for the bin" at community events, Benham said, and will be used to expand the organization's blue box gardening program, which helps children and families in need grow everything from corn and beans to squash and tomatoes.

City officials estimate there are 500,000 blue boxes across Winnipeg and the average home has two.

"We're always amazed by the generosity of Winnipeggers," Benham said, noting Harvest hasn't tallied the donations but the number of blue boxes is possibly in the thousands. "This is something people are giving to us out of the goodness of their heart. It's just one more thing we'll be able to put to good use."

The donations come at a time of year when Winnipeg Harvest says many local families are struggling to afford to pay for food. Benham said November and December are tough months and the need for help could grow.

A recent report by Food Banks Canada found Manitoba has the highest per capita use of food banks as more people who can't afford to buy food are turning to them for help. The report said more than 63,000 Manitobans could not afford to buy food last March and used a food bank or soup kitchen -- a 14 per cent increase from the previous year.

Earlier this week, a Statistics Canada report found the cost of living increased in Manitoba in September, as residents are spending more money for things such as gasoline and mortgage insurance. The agency said Manitoba's annual inflation rate rose to 1.7 per cent from 1.6 per cent in August.

Benham said Winnipeg Harvest has called for an increase to welfare rates because the cost of housing has increased substantially over the last decade. He compared the cost of housing and found shelter costs increased 65 per cent in Winnipeg between 1997 and 2012. Benham said Harvest officials routinely hear people tell them they had to take money out of their food budget to pay for shelter.

"We hear that from people on welfare and also the working poor, people trying to feed their families on minimum wage," Benham said.

jen.skerritt@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 25, 2012 A3

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Latest News

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

Have Your Say

Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?

Have Your Say

Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.