Students share a recipe for HOPE

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Published on Tuesday, May 2, 2017

NACI students packaging pasta at Winnipeg Harvest. (Submitted photo)

By Kate Jackman-Atkinson

The Neepawa Press

This year, members of HOPE, NACI’s social justice group, tried something different for their donations to area food banks— recipe kits. The donation of the kits, and the time they spent volunteering a Winnipeg Harvest, are part of the group’s work to help those in need close to home, as well as internationally.

Last year, the group prepared sock rolls to give to local food banks and this year, they were looking for something to do that was more food-related. Over the course of a couple of months, they came up with the idea of making the kits, which include a recipe and most, or all, of the necessary ingredients. The kits are then wrapped up in a tea towel that can be reused. 

Grade 10 student and HOPE member Kailyn Hanke explained that students collected all the necessary food for the kits. The group listed all of the canned goods they needed and for each item a student brought, they got their name entered in a draw to win a $50 grand prize.  The campaign was called Cash for Cans and was open to all students. Any necessary items that weren’t donated were purchased. Shop Easy supported the initiative by offering the students the missing products at a discounted price.

In total, the students made 105 kits.  Neepawa Salvation Army requested 10 kits and the remainder went to Winnipeg Harvest. The students took the packages to Winnipeg Harvest when they spent a day there volunteering. The senior school students went March 14 and since most of them had already been, they skipped the tour and got right to work sorting, packing and cleaning.  They also had the chance to hear a presentation from two of the food bank’s clients.

The middle years students went March 21. They began their visit with a tour of the facility before starting their jobs for the day.

Hanke said that two things stood out to her about their visit to Winnipeg Harvest.  One was the amount of food and items handled by the charity.  The other was the personal stories told by the two clients. “People think that someone uses a food bank because they are lazy, but circumstances, such as accidents or a disability, can it difficult for someone to provide food for their families,” she said.