FOOD INSECURITY
“We really try to focus on people who are on the bubble, who are maybe too proud or not humble enough to go to their local food bank.”
Everyone Eats Brandon founder Nicholas Namespetra. Photo courtesy of Everyone Eats Brandon
<< FOOD INSECURITY CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS
EAT, PAY, LOVE Food insecurity was also the inspiration for a new initiative in the Westman region. Everyone Eats Brandon (everyoneeatsbrandon.ca) is a not-for-profit program operated by Brandon University Food Services along with the Brandon Food Council, John Howard Society and Assiniboine Community College. It provides at least 200 nourishing meals three nights a week on a pay-what-you-can model. The suggested price of each meal is $10, which covers the $8 cost as well as a portion of someone else’s meal. Those who can afford to pay more are encouraged to top up their total while those who are struggling can pay as little as zero. Meals are ordered online and paid for with a credit card. They are then either delivered to the client’s home or picked up curbside. The beauty of it is that nobody else knows how much a person paid for the meal, so there’s no stigma attached to the program. To date, Everyone Eats Brandon has served up more than 5,000 meals, with about a fifth of those meals provided free of charge.
Nicholas Namespetra, manager of Brandon University Food Services, says the aim of the program is to provide quality meals at an affordable price, while educating the public about food insecurity in the region. “What we’re trying to do is give information to the public and our clientele while also making sure everybody can have a nutritious meal and get the assistance they need to get through this pandemic,” he says. “We really try to focus on people who are on the bubble, who are maybe too proud or not humble enough to go to their local food bank.” Each meal is exactly the same, prepared by program staff and volunteers. The focus is usually on familiar comfort foods such as macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, shepherd’s pie, curries and cabbage rolls. Namespetra came up with the idea after realizing some of his six-year-old son’s classmates couldn’t access the breakfast program at their school during the pandemic. He approached the Brandon Food Council to ask how he could help and Everyone Eats Brandon was launched this summer as a pilot project. After its initial success, it was tweaked and relaunched in October. ■
22
WINTER 2020
Powered by FlippingBook