An Ontario single mom who couldn’t afford fresh food helping others with rising costs – Barrie | 24CA News

An initiative that began to assist out her household and neighbours in London, Ont., fighting the price of meals throughout the pandemic is now serving to guarantee 76 households’ fridges are full.

Leah Dyck, 34, the founding father of the VanDyck Foundation which runs Fresh Food Weekly, mentioned she began the meals field program in 2021 when the corporate she labored for went bankrupt six months into the pandemic.

Even earlier than shedding her job, she admits affording issues like recent produce and milk was troublesome on a low wage and as a single mom dwelling in public housing.

“I was working all the time, and I still wasn’t able to make ends meet, and living in public housing definitely made it so I wasn’t homeless, but I just didn’t have it in me to find another low-paying job,” Dyck mentioned.

“When I lost my job, I already knew that people were having a hard time being able to afford food.”

Dyck took that unlucky occasion as a possibility to attempt to assist not solely herself however her neighbours as effectively.

She began the Fresh Food Weekly web site and contacted native farmers and producers to see if they might be prepared to donate further produce that she would then distribute to individuals in want.

Dyck mentioned it’s by the generosity of native farmers she was capable of proceed serving to different low-income households, after which in 2022, she began fundraising to purchase issues like milk, meat, cheese and eggs as effectively.

Now, two years after beginning and one yr after they started fundraising, Fresh Food Weekly helps 76 households each two weeks.

“The demand for this is huge. Every single day people are asking to come on the program, and I have to turn them down.”

More and extra households are fighting rising prices on the grocery retailer, with the Barrie Food Bank is reporting a 77 per cent improve within the variety of people receiving meals help. In March the meals financial institution helped over 5,200 individuals.

Dyck mentioned she requires proof of revenue to keep away from anybody profiting from the service, which helps her higher perceive who’s in want.

Of the 76 households, she mentioned not less than half are on incapacity, and a few are seniors who don’t make sufficient on outdated age safety.

“Some of them are single moms working multiple low-paying jobs and are still not able to afford food, and nobody is a criminal, yet they aren’t able to eat,” Dyck mentioned.

Each particular person collaborating in this system is given an order type the place they will choose and select which merchandise they want, after which these items are bought, packaged and delivered by a workforce of volunteers.

“What I want to do is make people feel good about receiving food.”

For Dyck, giving individuals choices concerning the kind of bread or milk they obtain is important, saying it’s not anybody’s fault if they will’t afford meals as a result of they’re coping with a incapacity or one other concern out of their management.

“I’m trying and trying to give them the things that they really need, the basic staple items that you need to survive on.”

But Dyck mentioned operating this system is a pricey endeavor, at simply over $2,000 each two weeks.

Since she began fundraising a few yr in the past, Dyck mentioned she has raised $97,000 and is hopeful she will increase $100,000 by the top of the month and that they will proceed to get help from native companies and companies.

Over time Dyck mentioned she is hopeful she will develop this system to help households each week and be capable of assist extra individuals.

More particulars on assist can be found on the Fresh Food Weekly web site.

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