Reston United Church collected extra produce from the overabundant gardens in the community and area last week for a soup kitchen that is serving over 150 meals per day. The additional supply of vegetables is headed to the Helping Hands soup kitchen in Brandon where the need is great.
With the price of groceries on the rise and the cost of living going up, it is getting harder and harder for the average family to make ends meet and with the help of the local farmers and gardeners in the surrounding communities, extra produce was collected, loaded up and taken into Brandon. Judy Lochhead, a member of the women’s auxiliary at the Reston United Church, said the collection date for the produce was Sept. 27 and the delivery date was the following day.
Lochhead also adds they tried to coincide their trip so it was right after Reston Fun Fair which was Friday, Sept. 22. That way if there was any extra baking left, they could possibly include it as well.
The yearly “Grow a Row” is an annual event where gardeners share their extra supply of fruit and vegetable staples. “I usually call ahead and see if there is anything they do or do not want,” says Lochhead. The lady who took her call at Helping Hands said they had an abundance of probably 2,500 pounds of Zucchini and that they would be using every bit of it.
“I’m not sure if she was exaggerating on the amount but she said there are lots of mouths to feed so they will take anything,” adds Lochhead. Sometimes people will also offer canned goods if they don’t garden.
“We have experienced record-breaking numbers of patrons that need our help,” replies Amanda Bray, executive director of the Helping Hands Centre. Bray says they served 40,000 meals (an average of 156 per day) out of their soup kitchen in 2022.
Helping Hands receives no provincial or federal funding and relies on the community for support. She adds that they have zero budget for food costs and the only food they serve is through donations.
According to Helping Hands, the center opened its doors on Jan. 2 in 1990, and they served just six meals that opening day. An estimated 175 patrons now use this service on a daily basis, with the help of two staff persons and a few volunteers.
