Hamper program helping fight food insecurity in Winnipeg School Division

The Winnipeg School Division (WSD) is taking steps to combat food insecurity for families in the community

On Thursday, the division held its second Summer Hamper Program pick-up at R.B. Russell High School.

As part of the program, volunteers pack hampers with two boxes – one with non-perishables and another with fresh and frozen items. These hampers are then given out to families in need.

“Food insecurity is a really insidious problem in Winnipeg, in Manitoba and really in Canada in general,” said Katherine Armstrong, community food coordinator for the WSD.

“It’s not something that affects one socio-economic bracket or one cultural group, it’s something that really affects a lot of different families in different situations."

According to the WSD, issues of food insecurity are more pronounced in the summer as the division only runs its breakfast and nutritional programming during the school year.

“It’s an incredible amount of stress for families to make up for those meals and those calories that are lost from free breakfast, free or subsidized lunch program or snack program,” Armstrong said.

“During the summer, you have your kids home all day, they’re running around and having fun, and you have really hungry bellies. It’s become harder and harder for families to meet that need for themselves.”

The initiative provided food to about 700 families this summer.

“We aim to provide what support we can and give families just a little bit of space so that they can enjoy their summer with their families and find a way to meet that gap over time,” Armstrong said.