Harvest hungers for donations

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This article was published 24/12/2021 (1743 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Harvest Manitoba’s mission has always been to work towards a future where no Manitoban goes hungry, and no matter what’s thrown at the organization this holiday season, it will continue that work.

Though Harvest sees a rise in demand for food around this time every year, president and CEO Vince Barletta reported that the economic uncertainty that Manitobans have faced due to the pandemic has contributed to an even greater need.

He said that right now, the organization is at “record levels of demand,” feeding over 80,000 Manitobans each month.

“It’s a serious issue, and I think, sadly, that demand is only going to increase in the month ahead.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, Harvest Manitoba operated with few volunteers, and the whole operation was “turned on its head,” said Barletta.

According to Barletta, demand grew by about 30 per cent, and at the same time, food donations dropped by about 80 per cent

Now, he is happy to report that over the past number of weeks, many volunteers have begun to return to the warehouse, the call centres and the delivery trucks that allow the organization to make the impact it can.

However, the new Omicron variant is cause for concern, he said.

The organization is taking the steps it can to ensure safety for its staff and volunteers, adhering to public health measures and guidelines. This past November, a mandatory double vaccination policy was put in place.

“That’s a very powerful weapon in our fight to make sure that Harvest stays as safe and healthy as it can be,” said Barletta.

New and upcoming policies include supplying and mandating the use of N95 masks, and deployment of rapid testing kits.

For Barletta, keeping the warehouse open is the top priority.

“This variant puts a new set of challenges in front of us, but we’ve all been facing challenges for nearly two years, and so we’ll continue to adapt and we have very dedicated people here working to do that.”

In the food banks, Harvest is now individually pre-packaging items in hampers, which Barletta said allows food to reach people’s hands and tables not only more quickly, but most importantly, more safely.

During the holidays, though Harvest is seeing a greater demand than normal, “there’s also a great deal of generosity,” he said.

Manitobans who have been able to give resources like time, food and money are directly supporting the one in eight Manitobans who experience food insecurity.

In response to the record levels of food insecurity, Barletta said the organization has also placed a record number of yellow bins out in the community.

Much of the food that Harvest collects during the holiday season works to sustain the organization months into the new year, he said.

“It’s a busy time now, but it sets us up to ensure that we’re going to have food available well into 2022.”

Janice McWilliams, 66, has been volunteering with Harvest Manitoba for the past 12 years, and all through the pandemic.

A teacher by trade, McWilliams started volunteering with Harvest because she saw firsthand how important nourishing food is for students and their learning, and always kept food in her classroom for students who needed it.

“Food is such a basic need,” said McWilliams.

“There isn’t anybody that doesn’t need food, and most certainly children trying to cope with school, so for me, I find the volunteering is extremely fulfilling.”

Before the pandemic, she volunteered in the organization’s children’s programming. Since those programs were suspended, she moved to work with the client services department.

On the phones in client services, McWilliams talks to clients, registering and orienting them for the first time, and helping returning clients re-entering the system after years of not using the food banks.

Last holiday season, McWilliams was also on the phones. There’s normally a slight increase around this time, but this year the organization has seen a “dramatic increase” in calls, she said, especially from new clients.

Throughout the pandemic, there’s been a gradual increase in demand, but this past month and a half has certainly seen a steep spike.

On a normal morning in this past September or October, McWilliams would take anywhere from three to five new clients each morning. Now, she speaks to 10-15, “and that’s just me,” she said.

The other staff and volunteers in client services are receiving higher numbers on their own as well.

Harvest Manitoba is always looking for new volunteers to help with all of the jobs, and one of the things that McWilliams loves about the organization is that “everyone is welcome.”

“I just love that, the picture of everyone being welcomed,” she said.

“It doesn’t matter what your gifts are or what struggles you have, you’re always welcome at Harvest.”