Samaritan House changes bring dignity to clients, director says

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This article was published 12/08/2022 (1290 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While many Westman food banks are seeing an uptick in clients due to rising grocery prices and the high cost of living, Brandon’s Samaritan House Ministries has found a way to provide both nourishment and respect to the people who depend on its food hampers.

Packages full of food and necessities, such as hygiene and baby products, are available for pickup Monday through Friday at Samaritan House, located at 820 Pacific Ave.

According to executive director Barbara McNish, Samaritan House is helping around 85 people a day to get the supplies they need. This number, McNish said, has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Before the pandemic, McNish estimated Samaritan House in Brandon was distributing around 22,000 hampers a year. In 2021, that number ballooned to 25,702. Now, McNish said the ministry is giving out around 1,800 hampers a month.

The increase, she said, can be attributed to a number of issues.

“I think part of the reason is minimum wage for one thing, and … affordable housing,” McNish said. “It’s just a domino effect in a lot of ways … you don’t know what people’s needs are, but if you look at the big picture, they’re going to pay their rent and they’re going to pay their utilities and then they’re going to buy food.”

Until recently, clients could pick up a hamper at Samaritan House once every two weeks. Now, McNish said, clients can still come and get a small weekly hamper, but for their big shop, the hampers are given out on a monthly basis. Instead of simply packing hampers and giving them to clients, people who make use of the ministry are now able to come in and shop for what they need off of shelves, much like at a grocery store.

McNish said the change was made for both practical and compassionate reasons. For one, it’s hard to know what clients want and need. Sometimes they would return items they didn’t, or couldn’t, use.

“When people get a choice, they’ll take what they need and what they would like, and maybe that leaves more food for others, as well.”

Allowing clients to have an experience that mirrors shopping at a grocery store is also a more empathetic approach to what Samaritan House does, McNish said.

“We are using the items that get donated to us in a better way that lets people have a choice. And not only that, we’re giving dignity to people … we’re not saying, ‘here’s what I think you should have.’”

Cash Blanca, who has been working at Samaritan House Ministries in Brandon for two years, is now filling the role of McNish’s executive assistant. He said that in the time he has been with the ministry, there has been a “big increase” in the number of people using the service.

Blanca said he believes the idea of allowing people a more typical shopping experience is an enlightening one.

“Going aisle to aisle, having more people interact with the community, we’re learning what they want, what their needs are, and honestly just helping them and their whole families,” Blanca said. “I absolutely love the one-on-one interaction and seeing everyone in the community come as much as they need.”

Blanca said he has heard nothing but positive feedback from the community about the change to the hamper program.

“At the start, we didn’t know what to expect, but … everyone’s been pretty happy.”

McNish said the Samaritan House is grateful to all of its donors and supporters in the community.

“We do not do this alone. It was a lot of the community [that came] to help us out, and they stepped up.”

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