Brandon’s Samaritan House is one of 5 community groups in Manitoba taking part in the government’s $2.5-million Home Nutrition and Learning pilot program.
Families Minister Heather Stefanson says “Our government believes that nutritious food and meal preparation can bring families closer together, and this investment will provide that opportunity to thousands of children and families experiencing food disruption because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the Home Nutrition and Learning Pilot Program, we will connect thousands of children and their families with nutritious food, family-focused recipes and learning activities over the coming months.”
About 6,000 participating families will receive packages of healthy food – along with recipes and learning activities developed by the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba.
“Learning to cook at home is an invaluable life skill,” says Stefanson. “Reading a recipe, measuring ingredients and making food together at home encourages literacy, numeracy and many other skills. We hope the Home Nutrition and Learning Pilot Program will provide parents with additional opportunities to connect with their children in a fun, shared activity.”
The pilot program will launch in Winnipeg this week, and in other communities in early July, running until the end of September in all locations.
The community partners will use their connections with families who have school-aged children and are experiencing food disruption to invite them to participate in the pilot program. Community partners will also let families know how their packages will be provided, as this will vary by pilot site.