Students’ orchard initiative bears fruit

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This article was published 28/09/2009 (5316 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A "fruitful" relationship has begun between Sisler High School and Winnipeg Harvest.

On Monday, students with the school’s Students of Sisler Environmental Helpers presented the local food bank with the first apples harvested from the trees they planted in the school courtyard just last year.

"We believe it is important to give back to the community," said 17-year-old Parvinder Gill, the co-chair of the school’s environmental helpers committee.

"By giving these apples to Winnipeg Harvest we hope to help feed our neighbours in need."

Marlissa Vergara, 16, said the first trees were planted in spring 2008, with 15 more following last October.

Vergara said earlier this year the students began asking area businesses to join in and have an apple tree planted on their land.

"Twenty more trees will be planted in our neighbouring community," she said.

David Northcott, Harvest’s executive co-ordinator, thanked the students for the basket of apples.

Northcott said as the students’ harvest grows as the trees mature, the apples will be processed in Harvest’s warehouse and delivered to about 320 agencies provincewide.

"It’s a wonderful legacy for these students," Northcott said.

The fruit basket kicked off the food bank’s Share Your Thanks This Thanksgiving food drive.

Northcott said the main part of the drive is the 122,000 brown grocery bags that are being sent to Winnipeg Free Press subscribers to fill with food.

The bags can be dropped off at Canada Safeway stores or at Winnipeg Harvest’s warehouse at 1085 Winnipeg Ave.

Winnipeg Harvest provides emergency food assistance to 40,000 people each month.

Northcott said the food is sorely needed by more Manitobans.

He said the number of children using the food bank has jumped by almost 24 per cent in the last year.

"I think that’s outrageous," Northcott said. "It’s distressing."

As well, Northcott said 83 per cent of people currently on employment insurance are also supplementing their meals by going to food banks.

Because employment insurance is only for a limited amount of time, Northcott said he’s concerned about what happens to people when that safety net is exhausted.

Meanwhile, Canada Safeway spokesman John Graham encourages people to come to the stores to help the hungry. Graham said the grocery store chain has created special $5 and $10 food bundle packages that customers can buy and put directly into bins destined for the food bank.

"Our customers and stores gave $2 million worth of food to Winnipeg Harvest and other food banks in the last year," he said.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

Most wanted food items

canned fish and poultry

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canned vegetables or fruit

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peanut butter

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cereal

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