More than $300K raised for Harvest Manitoba through Make the Season Kind campaign

CBC Manitoba's annual charity drive in support of Harvest Manitoba brought in more than $300,000 to help fill food banks and the cupboards of people around the province.

Make the Season Kind,a full day of programming, ran from6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Fridayin support of Harvest and its partner agencies.

A total of$325,250 wasraised.

The day featuredlive music and inspiring stories on CBC Radio 990 AM and 89.3 FM in Winnipeg.

That includedperformances by theMeadows West School Choir, Erin Propp and Larry Roy,Don Amero, Madeleine Roger, the Winnipeg Nurses Choir,Ila Barkerand Son of Dave (formerCrash Test Dummies member Benjamin Darvill).

Last year, Make the Season Kind set a monetary donation record, with $364,559 raised. The 2021 campaign raised $306,037.

A $30 donation buys approximately 15 kilograms of food, Harvest said.

There arethree ways to help Harvest Manitoba to help others:

1. The donation line:1-204-982-3581.
2. Online.
3. Drop offfood itemsat Harvest Manitoba, 1085 Winnipeg Ave.

Harvestworks with about 380 agencies all over Manitoba: food banks, soup kitchens, daycares,schools.

With the cost of food rising, fewer people can afford to feed themselves.

More than 453,000 kilograms offood is required every monthand nearlyhalf of Harvest's clients are young children.

The organization's latest report, released Thursday, says the number of people using food banks has risen by 150 per cent since 2019, with a 30 per cent increase since just last year.

It also found the number of employed people relying on food banks jumped sharply this year. In 2021, 16 per cent of food bank users had jobs, but that climbed to 24 per cent by 2022, and it's now 41 per cent.

There was also a "substantial influx" of clients who arenewcomers with the highest number fromUkraine, followed by Nigeria and Eritrea.

More than one in four food bank clients in Manitoba were newcomers to Canada, a Harvest survey of about 500 clients between May and Septembersuggested.

Half the people using a food bank for the first timein Winnipeg were Ukrainians who fledto Canada when Russian forcesinvaded their country inFebruary 2022.

Harvest's Top 10 most wanted food itemsare:

• Canned fruit.
• Canned soup/stew.
• Canned tuna.
• Canned vegetables.
• Pasta.
• Pasta sauce.
• Rice.
• Peanut butter.
• Baby formula/food.
• Instant oatmeal.

Make the Season Kind schedule

6-8:30 a.m.: Information Radio with Marcy Markusa

Start the day with host Marcy Markusaand performances from Meadows West School Choir,ErinProppand Larry Roy, and DonAmero.

Noon-1 p.m.: Radio Noon with Marjorie Dowhos

Tune in at noon with host Marjorie Dowhos for a performance from Madeleine Roger.

3-6 p.m.: Up to Speed with Faith Fundal

Join host Faith Fundal for performances from the Winnipeg Nurses Choir,Ila Barkerand Son of Dave.

Donation phone lines were open until 7:30 p.m. Friday and for a short time on Saturday morning, from 6-9 a.m. Online donations for the campaign were accepted until end of day Sunday.