GAP finds home at St. Gerard School

Elmwood

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This article was published 28/01/2026 (236 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A program to help Elmwood residents access affordable groceries has found a permanent home.

In December, the board of St. Gerard School (40 Foster St.) agreed to adopt the grocery access program launched by the late Jason Schreyer, Elmwood–East Kildonan city councillor, before his death last April.

The program is now run by Schreyer’s former executive assistant, Chris Sweryda, and is open to residents of Elmwood-East Kildonan on a drop-in basis from 1 to 4 p.m. on the first, third, and fifth (if applicable) Saturday of each month, allowing residents to buy low cost pantry items. GAP had previously operated from Morse Place Community Centre, but quickly grew to need more space.

“It’s several orders of magnitude larger than it was,” Sweryda said. “St. Gerard’s (gymnasium) is way more suitable, with better parking, though we don’t have storage on site.”

“Since adopting the program, we have seen very positive responses from the school and the broader community as a whole. There are many people that are struggling and it has been a great way for the school to help,” St. Gerard principal Jean Gilbert said in a press release. “It can be considered a bridge program for those who struggle to pay retail prices but also would not qualify for or attain food bank assistance due to having some income.”

Hundreds of local residents make use of the service each time the program is open, Sweryda said.

“We have a lot of people who come to us who are struggling to even afford our reduced prices for groceries,” Sweryda said. “We started giving some away, but our funding died with Jason. We’ve been doing what we can, but every time we give away, it eats away at the program.”

GAP also provides a delivery service to seniors’ residences, schools, and low-income housing complexes for those in need. Each month, Sweryda puts together a list, or ‘menu’, of available items and prices, which he circulates to participating groups, with orders and payment collected before volunteers deliver the groceries.

“We have expanded our selection,” Sweryda said. “Our monthly flyer is now 18 pages.”

When the program launched, groceries were stored in the basement at Morse Place, but GAP now has an off-site storage locker which is regularly stocked with items. For now, GAP remains self-funding, with some local businesses stepping up to help with in-kind donations of services or goods, such as Penner Trucking, which has donated the use of a semi-truck and trailer to haul pallets of groceries from Safeway, and Flying Pizza on Edison Avenue, which donates food for volunteers each time the program runs.

“The support for this program has been unbelievable,” Sweryda said. “When people see the impact it is having on the community, they are very eager and willing to lend a hand in whatever way they can.”

Schreyer’s brother-in-law, Jason Chan is chair of the St. Gerard School board. With the Catholic school set to oversee the program, GAP should remain sustainable into the future. Those who wish to make a donation to the program can do so through the school, which is a registered charity, and receive a tax credit.

“Running this program will be a great way to further serve the needs of this community, continue the initiatives of Jason Schreyer, and honor his legacy,” Chan said.

“There’s lots of potential for growth,” Sweryda said. “Our limitation is funding.”

Volunteers are also needed to keep the program running, Sweryda added.

“I have about 20 very good volunteers,” Sweryda said. “They’re amazing. They come out when I call, but I get the sense that I’m overtaxing them. Our volunteers are already going as hard as they can. One hour a month would go a long way.”

Contact Sweryda at 204-801-9239 or email umsweryd@myumanitoba.ca to volunteer, or for more information.