This Friday and Saturday: Caring Communities want to say Good Buy to Hunger
April 4, 2019, 8:02 am
Kevin Weedmark
Moosomin’s Caring Communities group is planning to make this Easter a little brighter for families in need.
This Friday and Saturday, shoppers at Borderland Co-op Marketplace Foods in Moosomin can buy either a $10 breakfast bag or $20 dinner bag, and the proceeds will be used to buy hampers for local families in need.
Individuals who want to help but can’t be at the food store this weekend can text the organizers with a donation—their contact information is on page 20.
Organizer Rolna Pranke said this is the third year the program is running, and she has been impressed by the support in the first two years.
“This is our third year. When people saw what we were doing the first year, they were very helpful. Everyone wanted to help. It’s been very well received. We started it because we saw a need and wanted to fill it. At this time of year, like Christmas, we think of people in our community who might need a hand, and we want to be there to help.” Caring Communities has a list of families they want to help and are open to helping more. Anyone can contact the organizers if they could use help from the program.
“The first year we had actual bags that were already packed with breakfast or dinner food. Last year people bought the bag, and once we had the total of how much money we had to spend, then we chose the actual items.
“The breakfast bags have pancake mix, syrup, jam, a can of fruit, juice crystals, typical breakfast food.
“The supper bags have jello and pudding for dessert, rice, pasta and sauce, pretty much anything we could put together that would make a few meals for $20.
“It’s pretty amazing what you can do with a little bit. The Co-op is gracious enough to let us sit in their store and do this, and they’re very generous when we go to buy the groceries.
“We also include chocolate bunnies for the kids—just a little treat!”
The bags will be distributed the week leading up to Easter. “We enlist our families to help,” says Rolna. “They are very good helpers.”
Why do they take the time to run the project?
“You have to make time to give to others,” Rolna says.
“We’re so blessed, and live in such a great community, and everyone’s willing to help. It just takes somebody to organize it. That’s all we’re doing, and the community is always behind us. There is always lots of support and we really appreciate it.”
