Food drive becomes a family affair

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This article was published 28/07/2015 (4054 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg Harvest is getting a much-needed boost this summer with help from a dedicated family and the community.

The Moore family and other local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (45 Dalhousie Dr.) distributed 60,000 flyers with a list of Winnipeg Harvest’s “10 Most Wanted Food Items” earlier this month with 500 other members and community volunteers.

The Moores, who live in Linden Woods, helped begin the food drive 10 years ago and it has grown into the largest food drive for Winnipeg Harvest during the summer.

“We all work in the community, we have friends in and outside of the church, and we’ve got lots of people that we know who have struggled financially, lost jobs or had needs, and Winnipeg Harvest has certainly been a great benefit for them,” John Moore told The Sou’wester.

Moore was instrumental in beginning the food drive and got his family and friends involved over the years. Currently four generations of Moores, including a great-grandma and six grandkids, help distribute flyers and assist with the drive.

During the collection period, Winnipeggers were encouraged to leave a bag of food items on their porches and steps for members of the church to pick up. On July 18 the church also held a community block party at 45 Dalhousie Dr. for Harvest.

“We want to give service and we think it’s important to the community we live in,” Moore said, adding that the food drive is a good lesson for the kids about giving back.

Melissa Moore, John’s daughter-in-law has participated in the drive for seven years.

“We want to give service and we think it’s important to the community we live in”

“I have the opportunity now to do it with our kids and include them in it. I love doing Winnipeg Harvest as a family because it’s something that’s important,” she said. “There are real people out there who don’t have support and aid around them to help them in times of need, so it’s an amazing opportunity to teach our kids about community service and helping others.”

The door-to-door pick up raised a total of 10,435 pounds of food in addition to the 25,035 pounds of canned food donated by the church and shipped in from its food storage warehouse in Lethbridge, Alta. The truck contained cases of beef stew, chili, tuna, apricots, peaches, pears, corn, green beans, and peas.

Safeway and Peak of the Market matched the donation, each giving 35,470 pounds of food to Harvest bringing the total to 106,410 pounds.

“The dedication and commitment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is amazing, especially during the summer season when donations take a dip,” Winnipeg Harvest communications co-ordinator Chris Albi said. “The summer food drive is a big undertaking but this dedicated group of individuals make it happen and make our job of feeding hungry people that much easier.”

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