May 7, 2012 - by Duncan M. Stokes

Duncan M.  Stokes

Hunger Awareness Week

Did you know that more than 55,000 Manitobans have relied on food banks over the past month? If all 55,000 of those people lived in the same city, it would be the second largest in Manitoba. That is more people than would fit into the new stadium being built in the south end of Winnipeg. And it’s more than 55,000 too many.  

Today marks the beginning of National Hunger Awareness Week. Hunger is something almost everyone can identify with at some point in their life. Fortunately for most of us, it’s usually a temporary thing lasting a few hours or a day or two at the most for those who have had to fast for medical reasons.

But can you imagine what it would be like to go to school hungry as a child? Or to go to about your adult life hungry for a day?

Sadly, for too many people in this country, it is something they live with each and every day.

If you want to know what it’s like to be hungry, challenge yourself this week…Know what it’s like to have food out of reach by challenging yourself to give up your lunches or a food staple for the week.

Winnipeg Harvest remains committed to reducing by half, the number of people reliant on food banks by the year 2020. We need your help to reach this goal. Understanding why it’s so important is a step toward that goal.

Please consider taking the challenge. And consider donating money, food or time to Winnipeg Harvest to help us reach the goal of a world without hunger.

Camino Food Fund

Thank you to Doug Speirs for a wonderful article in the Wednesday May 2^nd edition of the Winnipeg Free Press.

In case you missed the article, Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau and his partner Dennis Tam are embarking on a 760 km journey through the historic Camino de Santiago beginning August 9^th. (also known as the Way of St. James) He hopes to raise money to create a fund that will be used by Winnipeg Harvest to acquire healthy foods for diabetics. The Minister’s goal is to raise $25,000.

Speirs article on the Minister’s journey for the “Camino Food Fund” can be found at http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/760-km-to-better-health-149786855.html

Good luck Minister Rondeau. And thank you for this call to action.

Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau and partner Dennis Tam. Photo courtesy of the Winnipeg Free Press and Wayne Glowacki

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Winnipeg Harvest, its staff or volunteers.