Freightliner fundraiser nets record haul for the needy

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Close to 2,000 pounds of food, clothing, blankets, and winter coats have been delivered to two Brandon non-profit organizations that were donated by Western Manitobans during a one-day fundraising blitz.

Fill the Freightliner was held Oct. 21, when a large truck was parked in front of local restaurant Montana’s in the Corral Centre, taking in items for Samaritan House Ministries and the Community Health and Housing Association (CHHA).

The weight of the non-perishable food items, sanitizer and shampoo delivered to Samaritan House topped off at 647 kilograms, or 1,448 pounds, said Barb McNish, executive director.

“These items are our standard stock, staples that people need like beans, peanut butter, rice, pasta, pasta sauce, you know. It’s just awesome that we have the support of many different groups and events, and Fill the Freightliner is one of the bigger ones, and it does help. It’ll probably get us through, maybe a month,” McNish said.

Additionally, four large pallets of winter jackets, mitts, bedding, and blankets were delivered to CHHA, which provides many services to vulnerable individuals including housing, emergency housing, withdrawal support services, and sober living.

Darcie Gervin, CHHA’s assistant director, said the delivery may have been the largest one-time donation the organization has ever received.

“Our outreach team has already gone out in the community and distributed a lot of the coats, mitts, blankets, and other warm items. And we’ll keep on going to make sure that everybody’s warm for the winter,” Gervin said.

While both McNish and Gervin say they are incredibly grateful for the fundraiser, Gervin added: “There are always people in need, and the need never ends.”

Food bank use across the country is on the rise. The number of visits in March 2023 compared to the same month in 2022, showed an increase of 32 per cent, which translates to 1.9 million visits, according to Food Banks Canada’s Hunger Report 2023.

In Manitoba, almost 42 per cent of those surveyed with incomes less than $75,000 said they felt worse off compared to last year.

The same group of people said they are spending 60 per cent of their income on necessities like utilities and groceries, and the support from a housing program is still not enough to keep their heads above water, said the report.

Manitoba was given a failing grade by the Hunger Report when it comes to poverty. Nearly nine percent of Manitobans live below the poverty line, which is among the highest in the country.

Almost 20 per cent of those surveyed said they felt food insecure.

In Brandon, there has been a significant increase in the number of people coming to Samaritan House for food bank hampers, McNish told the Sun.

“From January this year, we have seen 865 new clients. We’ve distributed 14,107 monthly hampers compared to 12,000 last year,” said McNish.

This was the third year that Premier Truck Group held the one-day donation blitz, and the most successful so far. The secret to its success may have been the fact that each non-profit was asked for their wish lists ahead of time, said Stephanie Sansom, service advisor at the heavy-duty truck and tractor service dealership.

“For the first couple of years, we sometimes had people giving us items that either weren’t in the best condition or that we couldn’t donate to anybody. So, this year, everything was much more directed. We advertised, so we had a lot of people coming up and saying ‘hey, we heard on the radio you needed this item, so we purchased it specifically for you.’ So, that was really great,” Sansom said.

At CHHA, Gervin said they’ve seen the need increasing across the board, with people coming in from all walks of life.

“There’s no stereotypical person that we serve. People can fall on hard times, and can be one paycheque away, or one bad thing away from being homeless or having no food in the cupboard. They don’t have to be from the downtown core, they could be from the west or south end – anywhere in Brandon,” Gervin said.

McNish agreed, and added when people donate, it makes the community stronger.

“When we’re doing this, we’re helping our neighbours. So, you don’t know if your neighbour is visiting the food bank, you don’t know if it’s a distant relative, and you don’t know if it’s one of your children’s school friend’s family.

“It’s helping our neighbours who are struggling because once they get to a better place, they’ll pay it forward.”

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

» X: @enviromichele