2024 Harvest of Hope raises $65,000
$12,000 donated to Moosomin Food Bank, $4,250 donated to Rocanville Food Bank
December 16, 2024, 9:26 am
Nicole Taylor
Moosomin’s Harvest of Hope has raised a total of $65,000 this year, with $12,000 being donated to the Moosomin Food Share last week, $4,250 going to the Rocanville Food Bank, and the remaining $48,750 going to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank to help feed people internationally.
This brings the project total to over $700,000 over the last 11 years.
Harvest of Hope is a local growing project located between Moosomin and Rocanville that harvests a crop every year for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank as a way to end food insecurity.
“Locally what we do is we grow a crop, we sell it, and the proceeds of that crop are sent to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, or given directly to the local food banks,” said Kyle Penner who helps organize the growing project each year.
“Locally the food banks use the money for groceries, which is directly feeding people. Overseas the proceeds are distributed through member agencies that are part of the Foodgrains Bank. They will buy food locally, and then distribute it to local populations in those parts of the world.”
Penner says the Moosomin project feeds somewhere between 3,200 and 13,000 people for a month, depending on where the project funds go, and the leveraging that is applied through the Foodgrains Bank.
With the government of Canada’s support, the Foodgrains Bank’s 15 member agencies are able to leverage donations from individuals, churches and businesses up to a ratio of 4:1 for food assistance in the developing world.
Penner has been involved with Moosomin’s project from the start, along with a group of volunteers who were interested in starting the project.
“I think that food security is an issue that can be felt anywhere in the world,” said Penner. “When you think of people who are hungry, you often think of starving people overseas somewhere. Even locally, there are people who just aren’t able to provide for themselves. It’s important we help people fulfil their basic needs.
“We like to support the communities where the people who support the project are from. There are people from Moosomin and Rocanville and area that are a part of the Harvest of Hope. It’s logical for us to support the local food banks with the proceeds of the project,” said Penner.
Penner says everything is paid for with the proceeds from the crop, or donated. “There are no paid employees at Harvest of Hope. Everybody is a volunteer who volunteers their time, or equipment, fuel, or whatever they can to make the project go every year,” he says.
“ In terms of resource, volunteers are the most valuable asset the project has.
“There are lots of ways that local people volunteer. We have community members and businesses who donate their equipment and time. Farming equipment is expensive to own and operate. There are people like myself and others who donate the time to do administration work. There are people who give monetary donations, will donate agricultural products, and many other necessities to help lower our operating costs and maximize the amount of money the project earns.”
Penner says the community continues to support the project more and more every year.
“There are a few new people interested in helping every year. Obviously many hands make light work.
“It’s a project that lots of people have been involved in in different levels over the many years, so continued support is something we’re grateful for.”
Since starting 11 years ago, the Harvest of Hope has raised a total of $700,000.
“Food is one of the most basic needs that people have, and it’s an important thing to try and take care of if we can. We have been blessed with what we have,” said Penner.
“The Harvest of Hope project estimates it will feed somewhere between 6,000 to 9,000 people for a month with the donations from 2024.”
Samantha Campbell, with the Moosomin Food Share says the donation from Harvest of Hope will buy all of the groceries for the Food Share for the next three months.
“We usually spend anywhere from $4,000 to $6,000 on groceries per month, so this will help feed many, many families,” said Campbell.
Right now Moosomin Food Share is seeking more donations.
“With the Canada Post strike, we are getting very low on monetary donations. A lot of people cannot mail their check. Everything’s hard right now, inflation has gone way up, it’s harder for people to donate, so if they are able to, we really appreciate that,” said Campbell.