Folk fest donates leftover food to Siloam Mission

Thousands of meals will be served at Siloam Mission this week thanks to a massive food donation from the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

More than 4,200 pounds — about two tonnes — of surplus food from the four-day festival that wrapped up Sunday was delivered to the mission on Monday.

The donation, consisting of prepared food, protein, dairy and fresh produce, is expected to provide enough ingredients to prepare about 6,000 meals for people experiencing homelessness and poverty.

“We are part of the Winnipeg community and when we can give back, we do,” said folk festival executive director Valerie Shantz.

Siloam Mission food services manager Marilou Castro said the food is enough to serve three meals a day for four days.

The Mission serves about 500 meals three times daily, with Monday’s lunch service topping out at 549 plates.

The donation was made possible through the efforts of chef Ben Kramer, Winnipeg Folk Festival volunteers, Second Harvest Food Rescue and Shortline Transport, which helped rescue and deliver the surplus food on pallets.

The donation comes as the agency is seeing increased demand during extreme summer heat.

The organization’s overnight shelter and drop-in centre are now operating 24 hours a day, with staff distributing more than 600 bottles of water daily while continuing to provide meals, shelter, clothing and other supports.

The Free Press has reached out to folk festival organizers for comment.

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca