Harvest Manitoba has seen record numbers this year as they feed children through the summer months, and they are now reaching out for more support.
For many, summertime is a time to make memories with friends, spending countless hours playing with friends and travelling places. For others, it's a time of uncertainty, as many of the meal programs that help keep kids fed pause for the season.
Through Harvest Manitoba's Meals2Go Summer Pop-up program, a partnership with After the Bell, a national initiative supported by Food Banks Canada, they can distribute nutritious kits to pop-up locations at various Winnipeg schools during the summer months.
These kits contain shelf-stable and fresh foods such as apples, snap peas, yogurt and cheese.
"When families are already stretched thin, summer can push them past the breaking point," says Vince Barletta, President & CEO of Harvest Manitoba. "We know that good nutrition supports learning, growth, and long-term health. Donor-supported programs like Meals2Go are an important part of making sure kids have what they need when school isn't in session."
This summer alone, Winnipeg has already handed out 10,000 kits in the first four weeks of summer, surpassing what the program distributed in July and August 2024.
In addition to the demand for summer nutritional support, Harvest continued to see a record number of people accessing food banks across the province. Over 24,000 households visited a Harvest food bank in Manitoba last month.
To help meet the record demand they're dealing with this season, Harvest Manitoba is purchasing additional food and donating fresh garden produce at Meals2Go sites.
The cost of each kit is $10 for breakfast and snack items for a week.
To help support this program and the work Harvest Manitoba is doing, visit their website.