Food bank use is rising in Manitoba, with an average of more than 60,000 people accessing Harvest Manitoba services monthly, a report from the organization said.
asserted
report → rise → organization
In addition to the historic demand, which has doubled in the past five years, a record-setting amount of donations were received in the 2025-2026 fiscal year, Harvest Manitoba’s annual report said.
asserted
report → double → year
More than $14.8-million was used by the not-for-profit to support its clients and programming.
asserted
million → use → clients
“It takes a province to feed a province,” Vince Barletta, president and CEO at Harvest Manitoba, told Global News in an interview.
asserted
Barletta → take → interview
The report said more than 13 million lbs. of food were distributed by Harvest Manitoba in the last fiscal year – of that, approximately 8.7 million lbs. were received as donations.
asserted
. → say → donations
People from all walks of life, including families, those with jobs and seniors, have been visiting food banks, Barletta said.
asserted
Barletta → include → banks
“The need for food security programs is more broadly based than ever before, and there’s people truly in every community and every neighbourhood that are dealing with food insecurity,” he continued.
asserted
he → base → insecurity
Get breaking National news
“Food banks have become, sadly, a way of life for thousands of Manitoba families.”
asserted
banks → get → families
Carinna D’Abramo Rosales is the co-director of Supporting Employment and Economic Development (SEED) Winnipeg, a nonprofit dedicated to helping low-income Manitobans achieve financial empowerment.
asserted
Manitobans → dedicate → empowerment
“What we’re seeing is just this level of desperation and need for other and additional services to help them along their way,” Rosales said.
asserted
Rosales → see → way
“This can be additional things, such as, ‘where can I get extra food to make it through the month or until the next pay cheque comes?'”
asserted
cheque → get → month
Assistance in finding organizations with programs that help cover rent and loan payments are also frequently sought out by SEED’s clients.
asserted
that → find → clients
When an issue is outside of the scope of the nonprofit it refers to the ongoing list of charitable groups, she added.
asserted
she → refer → groups
“The economy is in a really poor state, and people are feeling it in all aspects of their lives.
asserted
people → feel → lives
And it feels like it has been on a steady, downward spiral since Covid, but (people are) definitely feeling the intensity ramped up at this point,” Rosales said.
asserted
Rosales → feel → point
Approximately 24,880 households visit a food bank every month, according to the organization’s report.
uncertain
households → visit → report
Viktoria Appleyard, a community dietician with the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba, said the increase in the need for food from children has also been reflected in the charity’s work with school lunch programs.
asserted
increase → say → programs
“We are seeing that school food programs are definitely accessed a lot more (with) the increase in participation, we are definitely hearing from schools that is a really big challenge for schools,” Appleyard said.
asserted
Appleyard → see → schools
As a community dietician, Appleyard offers cost-saving recommendations to schools struggling to keep up with the surge of students, while ensuring the meals meet Manitoba’s nutritional guidelines, she said.
asserted
she → offer → guidelines
“With the rising food cost, it’s definitely still a challenge to feed all the students that are requiring access to these programs,” Appleyard continued.
asserted
Appleyard → rise → programs
The Aporia
