Regina community organizations offer summer support to residents in need – Regina

To help residents in need, various community organizations across the city are coming together to distribute food this summer.

The Salvation Army is providing assistance to the North Central Regina Family Centre (NCFC).

“The need for food in the community, in our centres, is so great right now. Homelessness and poverty levels are so high that we’re seeing so much need right now, so many requests for help,” said Chris Harris, a cook and kitchen team leader at the Salvation Army’s Haven Hope Church in Regina.

Harris says the biggest increase in Salvation Army clients is children, because not being in school means they don’t have access to their go-to source of food, he adds.

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The trend of children needing more help is being noticed by other community organizations such as Regina Education and Action on Community Hunger (REACH), which partners with the city to offer its version of a summer food program.

“It’s really important to help fill that gap. Most of the time, it’s the schools that get the meals, but it’s really important to be able to fill that gap during the summer when kids don’t have the same program,” said Matt Liesle, REACH’s executive director.

Regina Food Bank vice-president David Froh said the two main ways people can help this summer are volunteering and donating.

“We are a very busy place, filled with volunteers. The challenge is raising enough money to feed all these children, because we are not funded by the government. So our ability to feed over 17,000 people depends on everything from piggy banks to businesses,” Froh said.

He added that half of the Food Bank’s 17,000 clients are children.

Kim Wenger, NCFC executive director, said donations are what keep community nonprofits open and helping people.

“Food insecurity is a huge issue in our community. Many people can’t afford food or the most nutritious foods and may go without,” she said.

“Knowing that your child is getting breakfast, snacks and dinner somewhere is probably peace of mind for those who are struggling to put food on the table,” she added.

Information on services or support options is available on the respective websites of the organizations.

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