FoodMesh Kindersley’s mission: Waste less, feed more and save money
By Joan Janzen
KINDERSLEY - Every week, approximately 100 people come through the doors at FoodMesh Kindersley, located at 800 - 12th Avenue East, to select free food for their families. The food picked up at Save-On Foods, Kindersley Co-op, and Family Foods helps feed all those families rather than being sent to a landfill. The program in Kindersley is just one of thousands of FoodMesh distribution centres operating across Canada.
These are just a few of the volunteers who regularly help at FoodMesh Kindersley. Pictured from R-L: Joy, Arian, Doug, Connie and Ashlynn, who had her first shift at FoodMesh when she was 3 weeks old. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
This summer, FoodMesh in Kindersley celebrated its fourth anniversary, providing food to people in this region, which extends west to Oyen, north to Kerrobert, east to Rosetown and as far south as Leader and Sceptre.
Everyone enjoys coming to FoodMesh, including the children. One youngster wrote a note which said: “I love coming to FoodMesh. They are kind and friendly. They are the best, and I meet people, and I like that you have things to play with.”
The program is only possible because of the donations of food received from Save-On Foods, Kindersley Co-op, Family Foods, Springfield Colony, Glidden Colony and Smiley Colony. Family pets benefit from donations of pet food received from Pet Valu in Kindersley, and as winter approaches, Murlin Electronics includes FoodMesh in its Cozy Up & Share program.
Numerous people donate food, meat, and garden produce throughout the year. There are way too many to list, but they know who they are and how much they are appreciated.
While all the generous donations are vitally important, FoodMesh Kindersley would not be possible without the many dedicated volunteers who pick up, sort, deliver, package and distribute the food three times a week. Once again, there are too many names to list, but each one is an integral part of the events that unfold throughout the year.
Food is distributed on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, with no pre-registration required. Every Friday, a pickup from Save-On Foods is also delivered to Dawnview Apartments for their residents, along with those at Evergreen Apartments.
Throughout Canada, FoodMesh connects more than 2,500 food chain organizations with non-profit groups that can put the food to use in their regions. It is a food recovery service that helps divert food from landfills to families and individuals who can utilize it. Their mission is: Waste less. Feed more. Save Money. Sounds good, doesn’t it?
According to FoodMesh statistics, the problem is that 47% of all food produced in Canada is never consumed, and 86% of that waste occurs along the supply chain. However, the solution is: 45% of that waste is avoidable, and the food can be diverted to one in four Canadians who are in need of food.
The slogan for FoodMesh is: “There isn’t a food shortage problem. There is a connection problem. And we’re here to help.”