In Thompson, there are many barriers to accessing food banks, including insufficient agencies and intrusive screening questions. To remove some of these barriers, Integrative Mindfulness Center, an organization that offers psychotherapy and mindfulness services, made a donation to Marymound. Marymound used the donation to buy food and supplies for 70 hampers which they shared with families they support as well as with families who were referred to them by Integrative Mindfulness Center and by Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba, an Indigenous family service agency. “We wanted to make Christmas special for as many families as possible and that meant extending our help beyond the people we support,” explains Penny Brenton, Program Coordinator for Marymound’s Futures and Babies’ Best Start.
Three types of hampers were prepared: twenty-five Christmas Eve hampers which included hot chocolate and colouring books families could enjoy together; twenty Christmas Morning hampers that included bacon, eggs, milk, and fruits; and twenty-five Christmas Day hampers that included a hearty breakfast, snacks, and a full turkey dinner.
The hampers were distributed from December 21 to December 23 based on need. “My family and I have been blessed,” says a participant of Marymound’s Futures program in Thompson. “Thank you Marymound from the bottom of our heart.”
In Winnipeg, Marymound ran a food bank drive to create and deliver hampers to the families and young adults they support. Staff donated food weekly, other donors included United Way, Elizabeth Pate and Eastern Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. A significant amount of food and a cheque for $1000 were donated by Tony Rinella and his daughter Janina Gerbrandt, a former Marymound employee who, for years, has actively collected and donated food to Marymound. “I will never forget my first year at Marymound when I asked a group of Marymound School students if they were excited for the holidays,” says Janina. “Unlike most children, many of the children Marymound supports don’t find Christmas break exciting because of the challenges they face at home. The least I can do is help make their holidays a little bit better.”
Marymound estimates that in 2019 they created around twenty to twenty-five hampers in Winnipeg. In 2020, they created thirty-five. They had so much leftover that they shipped ten hampers to Thompson. “I’m humbled by the extent to which people generously gave monetary donations, canned goods and their time,” says Nancy Parker, Executive Director of Marymound. “I’m in awe and humbled by it all.”
