The European folk tale, Stone Soup, shares the story of how some hungry travelers came to a village with only an empty pot. It would seem the villagers were unwilling to share from their food stores and so the travelers went to the river and filled the pot with water, and they added a stone. Boiling the pot of water over the fire the villagers came and asked what they were making. "Stone Soup!" was the answer.
The first villager thought he could add a few carrots to the soup, and then the next villager brought some potatoes, and the next an onion .. and soon the smell of the wonderful soup filled the village as more and more villagers joined in the making of this wonderful soup! In the end all of the villagers and their families were able to enjoy a bowl of delicious soup that they all contributed to!
Every year in mid-March, the Stone Soup folktale is brought to life as the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba (CNCM) brings the community together to enjoy a warm bowl of soup, while raising funds and awareness for school meal programs across Manitoba.
Participating restaurants from around the province have created their own unique signature soup to be sold during the week of March 17-23, and are donating $1 from the sale of every bowl of soup to the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba. All of the funds raised will go directly to support Manitoba school meal and snack programs.
This year Stone Soup Week is from March 17th to Sunday, March 23rd at over 50 participating restaurants across the province.
"We love it that the community is really coming together to really support each other," shares Dietician Lead for CNCM, Madelaine Morrish.
Though the provincial government has made significant investment into the school meal programs it doesn't meet all the needs. The CNCM is hoping that in the future there will be sufficient funding to meet not only the schools’ food costs but also be able to provide funding to cover their staffing and infrastructure costs.
"Last year during our Stone Soup campaign, we raised over $27,000 from individual and corporate donors that went directly to support school meal programs across the province," shares Morrish. "Each school may have a different kind of program, whether that be a breakfast program, lunch program snack, or all of the above. So, all of these donations go towards supporting those programs."
The Stone Soup fundraiser campaign was launched in 2001 when there were only 10 school meal programs in place. Today there are over 400 school meal programs across the province.
Morrish says the need has increased over the past number of years, especially over the past two years where food prices have skyrocketed.
"From the beginning, we've seen the need, especially as we've heard from the programs themselves. These passionate individuals are eager to create meal or snack programs because they notice that some students come to school without having had much to eat for various reasons. This lack of nutrition impacts their ability to learn, focus, and be present," she explains.
She adds that the health aspect of the meal programs is important as well, that it's not just about providing food; it's about offering the most nutritious options possible. And that's where the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba can provide substantial support by guiding these programs.
Please listen to more with Madelaine Morrish below!
Participating Restaurants in the Stone Soup Campaign in the Westman Region:
- Lady of the Lake, Brandon
- Maple Bug Cafe, McCreary
- Russell Inn Family Restaurant, Russell
- The Dock on Princess, Brandon
- The Eagles Nest Bar & Grill, Brandon
- TT's Return (formerly Trapper's), Manitou
For more information on the Stone Soup Fundraiser please visit their CNCM website HERE!