FORT FRANCES—The Healthy Living Food Box program has grown so large over the past year-and-a-half that organizers are in need of more volunteers to help out.
“I never had a vision of how big it could get,” noted Anne Marie Armstrong of Sunset Country Métis.
“I never thought it would take off like this,” echoed Janet Drennan of Gizhewaadiziwin Health Access Centre.
These two organizations, along with the Northwestern Health Unit and Valley Diabetes Education Centre, partner to provide the Health Living Food Box program to promote healthy eating.
“The idea is that there are no barriers. It’s for everyone,” stressed Armstrong, noting once a month people can order a food box for $20 and receive an assortment of healthy foods with a significant value.
“And it’s working,” Drennan said. “People are eating more fruits and vegetables. And they are trying different fruits and vegetables.”
The organizations began offering the food boxes in November, 2006 and had 40 orders that first month. This month, 827 food boxes were ordered.
And some say the numbers haven’t peaked yet.
“We really rely on volunteers to help pack the boxes,” Armstrong said, noting the boxes are packed on the third Wednesday of the month beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Métis Hall on Armit Avenue.
She explained they often are just finishing packing the boxes at noon when the doors open for people to pick them up.
“Volunteers are welcome all day,” Armstrong noted. “Not only do we need help packing the boxes, but also for carry out and clean up.”
“And people don’t have to commit to the whole day,” Drennan added. “Even just a few hours helps us out.”
Armstrong said high school students are more than welcome to volunteer their time once they’re out of school for summer vacation.
In addition, if people are unable to help out on the third Wednesday of the month, there are other ways they can volunteer for the program.
For instance, Armstrong said she could use help setting up the Métis Hall on the Tuesday night before the packing takes place. There also is clerical work that can be done after the first Wednesday of the month when the orders are submitted.
“If someone is good with computers, we also need to input all the orders,” she remarked.
Meanwhile, the most simple way people can help out is by returning their boxes.
People order and pay for their Healthy Living Food Box on or before the first Wednesday of the month at the Northwestern Health Unit office on Scott Street.
The boxes then are picked up on the third Wednesday of the month at the Métis Hall.
“It’s encouraging people to consume more fruits and vegetables throughout the rest of the month and they are continuing to buy them,” Armstrong noted.
She explained there also is an education component to the food box program by the inclusion of a newsletter in each one, which offers new recipes and information on the storage, cleaning, and care of the food.
The partners also have been able to get a portion of their produce from local farmers.
“And we’ll continue to do so as much as possible this summer,” stressed Becky Holden of the Northwestern Health Unit.
She indicated although the Clover Valley Farmers’ Market has begun its own district-wide food box program, people are still able to use the Health Living Food Box program regardless of where they live.
“It’s great that even more people are going to have access to healthy food now,” Holden added, saying the CVFM program includes a delivery service to communities outside of Fort Frances.
But the organizing committee is not planning on making any changes to the Health Living Food Box program.
“We just really need to thank the volunteers we do have. They are crucial to the success of the program,” stressed Holden. “Without them, we couldn’t do it.”
“And the partners put in a lot of time, too,” Armstrong added.
All the money for the food box program goes back into the food box or for supplies.
For more information or to volunteer, contact Armstrong at 274-1386.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
