New system aimed at improving food-bank efficiency, reducing waste, Harvest Manitoba says

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This article was published 20/06/2024 (474 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The province’s largest food bank is hoping a new computer system will reduce waste and help get food more efficiently to the people who need it.

Vince Barletta, Harvest Manitoba’s president and CEO, said the Link2Feed software it recently began using is designed to better understand the needs of their clients and improve its services.

“We have 50,000 people using a food bank each month, and having a secure, reliable software platform is important,” Barletta said Thursday.

“This replaces one 20 years old and it is a system used by many food banks across the country. It’s more reliable, more secure and has better capabilities.”

Barletta said while the program asks several questions, if all the client wants to divulge is their name, date of birth and address, that’s OK.

“We’re not going to turn anyone away who needs food,” he said.

“The additional optional questions are more of a demographic (information) which helps us when talking to government about poverty and policies. We would never turn anyone away because they don’t want to answer these optional questions.”

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Barletta said if someone doesn’t have a smartphone or access to a computer, they can provide the information necessary at their next regularly scheduled food bank appointment.

He said the birthdate and address questions are needed to help avoid duplication and to find the best food pickup spot.

“We have over 80 locations for pickups,” Barletta said, adding the computer system also makes it easier for staff to book the time and location.

“It allows us to look at the food banks across the city and we can find a location near an apartment or near where you work. It also helps us to know how much food (for us) to send to the food bank.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

Kevin Rollason
Reporter

Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press’s city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.

Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.