Thieves target dinner supplies as food needs skyrocket

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This article was published 23/09/2023 (769 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Andrew Pankiw arrived at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church on Thursday night with bags of food for an upcoming dinner fundraiser when he realized the church had been ransacked.

The parish president said the small Ukrainian church in Brooklands is now scrambling after the theft wiped out its entire supply of meatballs and dozens of perogies for the event.

“You’re bringing people together to find something in common they can enjoy together, and get to meet each other,” he said Friday. “It’s just very disappointing to see actions like this disrupting those efforts.”

Community groups that are helping to feed those in need say it’s distressing — but not surprising — that food items were among the stolen goods.

Agape Table general manager Dave Feniuk said the organization went from distributing 85,000 bagged meals in 2019 to 134,000 in 2022. On an average day, Agape distributes more than 700 meals.

“Our demographic has changed so much.… We’re still feeding the marginalized, but now we’re also feeding the newcomers and the new refugees, and now we’re serving the working poor. It’s a lot harder for people to make ends meet, so food security is paramount,” he said.

“It doesn’t really surprise me that people are bending their own rules to make sure that their families are fed.”

As the cost of living skyrockets, people will make poor choices in order to survive, Feniuk said.

“It’s human nature, it’s hard to suck up your pride and ask for help, right? And some people, they don’t see any other possible way but to go out and steal,” he said. “Because it’s right then and there, it’s more of an instinctive reaction, as opposed to, ‘I’m gonna plan this out.’ But hard times make people make rash decisions.”

Despite the theft, Holy Ghost still intends to host the fundraiser, scheduled to take place Sept. 29 from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.- 7 p.m. at the church at 40 Ada St.

“Growing up in the neighbourhood, we don’t fall down too easily. We roll with the punches.”

This is the first fundraiser for the church since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Growing up in the neighbourhood, we don’t fall down too easily,” Pankiw said. “We roll with the punches.”

The Winnipeg Police Service confirmed the break and enter was reported, but offered few details.

Food Fare owner Munther Zeid said food theft is an issue at his grocery stores.

However, he said he doesn’t think food insecurity is the reason, noting that many thefts at his stores involved large amounts of expensive goods that are easy to re-sell.

“How many blocks of cheese do you need to steal if you’re hungry? One? How many packages of steak do you need to steal? Let’s say you’re a family of five. You’d steal five, not 20,” he said.

“They’re stealing quantities, ridiculous quantities, of the same thing. They’re not going out and stealing enough to have breakfast, lunch, dinner.

“The theft that’s happening out there today is (based on), what’s the best selling items? What will people buy?”

Food wasn’t the only stuff stolen at Holy Ghost. A chalice, wedding crown and a monstrance (a vessel used in processions and ceremonies) were also pilfered.

Pankiw feels some of the religious items that were stolen are costly and irreplaceable.

“We have an older congregation, and numbers are going down,” he said. “There are pressures to try and close the parish. It’s just very disappointing.”

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca