Local

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Mystery of food banks solved for young readers

By: Carolyn Shimmin / Volunteers

Posted: 12/24/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Enlarge Image

Leuba Franko

Related Items

Articles
- Father and daughter cold, but OK after icy plunge

Enlarge Image

Leuba Franko based characters in her book, The Food Bank Mystery, on real people she has met over the years while volunteering at Winnipeg Harvest.

As families and friends gather this holiday season, enjoying tasty treats and succulent delicacies, it's appropriate to consider all there is to be thankful for this year.

It's loved ones nearby, safe housing, a steady income, or even enough food. The access to nourishment cannot be overstated, as Leuba Franko, a volunteer at Winnipeg Harvest, knows all too well.

"Most of us are two paycheques away from the food bank," says Franko, a passionate social justice activist and retired high school teacher. She wrote a book to help middle school children ages 9 to 13 better understand the many connections between job loss, the economy, the impacts upon family and the purpose of food banks.

As a volunteer, Franko met with Grade 6 students, teaching them about the work of the food-distribution and training centre. Winnipeg Harvest is a non-profit organization that distributes food to 330 agencies across Manitoba, including Siloam Mission and Agape Table. They also offer life- and job-training resources.

"Our goals are to walk alongside and feed hungry families, while at the same time providing them with the tools they need to become self-sufficient through mentoring and job training," says Chris Albi, Winnipeg Harvest communications co-ordinator.

Franko realized, through her volunteer work, the importance of engaging youth in the discussion surrounding food banks and food security. "A lot of children in this age group read mostly fantasy books. It's important to give them background on why food banks exist, because it can be a complicated subject."

The book, titled The Food Bank Mystery, follows the lives of two best friends, Natalie and Jason, whose families struggle to make ends meet. Natalie's father, a postman and immigrant to Winnipeg, may have to go on strike. Jason's father, a widower, loses his job at a meat-packing plant and must attend a food bank in order to feed his family. Natalie decides to use her detective skills to learn more about food banks.

Aside from the historical research that went into the creation of the story, many of the characters in Franko's book are based on people she has met while volunteering, including David Northcott, executive director of Winnipeg Harvest, and June Gilason, who has run the Unitarian Universalist Food Bank for 20 years.

Franko has spent her retirement involved in a myriad of causes around the city, including volunteering at Art City every Friday making soup for children, who kindly refer to her as the "Soup Angel." She also leads the Winnipeg chapter of the Raging Grannies, using her writing skills to pen songs about peace, social justice, human rights and the environment.

Franko says she believes in the South African philosophy of Ubunto. "Exercise the goodness you were born with," she recites while smiling.

Her gift to the community this season is using her writing to bring about awareness and a deeper understanding of our connectedness through The Food Bank Mystery. The book is available for $15 at McNally Robinson or Winnipeg Harvest. It can also be ordered as a class set for schools, with classroom activities and questions, and can be used in ESL classrooms. All proceeds from the sale of the book will go to Winnipeg Harvest.

To learn more about Winnipeg Harvest and how to get involved, visit winnipegharvest.org.

If you know a special volunteer who strives to make his or her community a better place to live, please contact Carolyn Shimmin at carolynshimmin@gmail.com.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 24, 2012 A11

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 Local

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 register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

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.