Sikh charity’s food drive brings in 11,000 pounds for Harvest Manitoba, Main Street Project

A Sikh non-profit handed out more than 11,000 pounds of donated goods to food banks across Winnipeg Saturday, hoping to reduce the rising need.

While Khalsa Aid is an international charity that provides disaster relief across the world, Manitoba’s chapter focuses on feeding people in need, typically through bi-weekly meal programming for international students. Their food drives, which happen twice a year, go to food banks through Harvest Manitoba and Main Street Project to feed the wider community.

“They always come and tell us how their donations have gone down too, so whatever we can donate, they really appreciate it,” Varinder Kaur Ghuman said Saturday.

“The need has never declined, it has always increased.”

Thousands of pounds of food were stacked in the Khalsa Aid Manitoba building on Logan Street by Saturday afternoon, with dozens of volunteers sorting through rice, canned goods, lentils and other essentials. Ghuman said baby formula was the most-requested item.

Every two weeks, Khalsa Aid Manitoba feeds between 100 to 250 international students, and have been holding food drives for 10 years. Both initiatives speak to Sikh culture’s focus on generosity and giving, Ghuman said.

“Being a Sikh organization, we have always been based on the Sikh principle of donating,” she said. “So people really come out and donate whatever way they can.”

Harvest Manitoba did not have to purchase food to hand out until COVID-19 hit, and today, about 60 per cent of the food being provided is bought by Harvest. At the same time, as the cost of living rises, the number of people accessing food banks has gone up 150 per cent, said Ashley Routhier-Evans, their community events and food drives associate.

“(Khalsa Aid) is one of our largest food drives that goes on. We have been so grateful for the support within the community over the years,” she said. “It definitely helps get a lot of food sent out to Manitobans in need, as the need has never been greater.”

Along with food programs, Khalsa Aid Manitoba is beginning a series of seminars helping newcomers to the province adjust to Canada — with topics ranging from cultural niceties to worker’s rights and protections.

Sudhir Sandhu, a volunteer who held the first seminar series several weeks last month, said the program is an attempt to fill the cultural gap that might have been filled in prior decades by immigrants who had more family supports in Canada, and teach students how to spot predatory working practices and even traffickers that target young newcomers.

“I really marvel at how a lot of kids that are 18, 19, young men, women, are packing up two suitcases and landing in Canada with absolutely no support,” he said.

“And Canada has not a good done a good job of providing support, both, particularly social, psychological support — they are adjusting to an entirely new environment that’s universes apart from where they’re coming from. So we find students struggle.”

The sessions will be held again later this summer as new international students come to Manitoba.

Anyone interested in donating to Khalsa Aid or learning more about programming should email office.canada@khalsaaid.org.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca