(Angie Rolheiser/northeastNOW Staff)

By Angie Rolheiser

Food recovery

Melfort Food Bank hoping to reach more people in wider area

Dec 14, 2021 | 11:31 AM

A few different efforts are being made by the Melfort Food Bank to feed more people.

Treasurer Fran Bakker told northeastNOW the number of people utilizing the food bank has increased drastically.

“Between September and October, our numbers went up 200 per cent so we basically doubled from one month to the next,” Bakker said. “If that trend keeps on, just locally, that is in excess of 250 people per month.”

The board is hoping to set up partnerships with local retailers, restaurants, grocery stores and producers to attain more food for their clients.

“In the fall of 2018, I started reading more on the amount of food that is still edible for human consumption that was ending up in landfills,” Bakker said. “The amounts were millions of tonnes of food that equated to billions of dollars that Canadians were throwing away each year.”

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Bakker began to look up ways to divert that food from landfills to people that are experiencing food insecurity. She wrote many grant applications, and the food bank is now able to purchase a food transport truck as well as two sea-cans for food storage.

“The truck will be heated in the winter and cooled in the summer so we can pick up fresh produce, meals, anything that requires one or the other,” Bakker said.

In addition, satellite food banks will be set up in outlying areas or working with churches to reach people who don’t have access to a food bank and food hampers.

The food bank in Melfort has operated for over 30 years solely on what was donated and brought in.

With the price of food increasing, less and less donations are coming in.

“Over December, last year I believe we had about 9,000 lb of food come in by this time and currently we are at about 2,000,” Bakker said. “COVID has made life different for all of us, so whether a job crisis or hours cut, I think people are staying with what they can feed their own families.”

The food bank has formed a partnership with food rescue organizations FoodMesh which allows them to pick up food from the Buy-Low Foods Store in Tisdale, as well as Second Harvest, to access food from Loblaws companies to include Cindy’s Independent in Melfort.

Unfortunately, a lack of staff makes it a challenge to have the hands to always pick up the food.

Anyone wishing to get involved with the food bank in a volunteer capacity can call 306-752-4448. Volunteers would help sort food, prep hampers and go with the driver to pick-up food from outlying areas or deliver hampers.

“Our main goal is to divert some of the good food that is being sent to landfills into the hands of people that really need it,” she said.

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angie.rolheiser@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser