Foodgrains Bank Prepares to Celebrate 40 Years of Food Aid

By Elmer Heinrichs

northwestern Ontario says 2023 is a special year for Canadian Foodgrains Bank since it was 40 years ago when this organization was formed.

Janzen invites supporters of the Foodgrains Bank to submit their memories of early involvement with the food aid and relief organization. He says “We’re hoping we’ll have some events later this year to commemorate this milestone.”

In January Janzen chose to celebrate the creativity of supporters. Throughout the last year, “I have been inspired by the creativity of many of our supporters.

In addition to the efforts of ‘regular’ growing project organizers, others have raised awareness and financial support in innovative ways.”

Here are a few examples of this creativity.

Hutterite women organized a raffle at Riverdale Colony, near Gladstone. With tickets sold across the Prairie Provinces, and even in the USA, organizers were proud of what they could donate towards ending global hunger.

In Boissevain, the BMW Growing Project raised awareness about their project by organizing a “combine pull” at the town’s summer festival.

The Scratching River Growing Project, near Rose- nort, is selling bagged sunflower seed as birdseed.

The Winnipegosis Thrift Shop sells used items, with half of their proceeds going to Canadian Foodgrains Bank.

Deb Loewen from Linden, MB is another creative Foodgrains Bank supporter. Her energy to support this work started many years ago when her father-in-law, Bert Loewen, was serving as executive director of Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Last summer she collected tomatoes and peppers from her garden and made 335 jars of salsa, jelly, and pickles. She sells this produce widely among family and friends and provides the sale proceeds to the Foodgrains Bank.