Harvesting Hope: 45% of Winnipeg food bank users are children

Winnipeg Harvest is Manitobas largest food bank, providing food to people who need itand a lot of those people are the youngest members of the community.

Almost 45 per cent of food bank users in Manitoba areunder the age of 18.

David Northcott, the executive director at Winnipeg Harvest saidstories of children going hungry each year is heartbreaking.

And when you hear it again, it's still just as raw and fresh as the first time as the last time. And I heard the word complexity, and I heard the word embarrassing. And I heard the word even the judgmental people got to help us because of the kids," said Northcott.

Winnipeg Harvest feeds more than 16,000 babies each month, yet theres still a demand. A group that relies on Winnipeg Harvest for food and baby formula saidthere's so much need and so little supply, they've had to lock their doors.

Pregnancy and Family Support Services (PFSS) is an inner city non-profit agency. They help mothers and pregnant women by providing formula, foodand counselling.

Because PFSS wasnt receiving enough donations, theyhad to change their policy in September making their resources less accessible.

"We have found it necessary to lock our doors, install a buzzerand we're also very unfortunately moving to by-appointment-only," said Cassandra Houle, executive director, PFSS.

PFSS has two locations downtown to help at-risk and in need families.

If for any reason we don't get a delivery of formula from Harvest, then every single family no matter how dire their circumstances are gets turned away by us because we have absolutely no funds left over to supplement the emergency food or the formula program," said Houle.

Tune in to your favourite CBC Manitoba shows today for Harvesting Hope, a day of music, stories and giving in support of Winnipeg Harvest. You can donate to Harvesting Hope online.

Join us for musical performances by local artists and hear inspiring stories to usher in this season of giving. We're broadcasting all day Friday on CBC Radio One 89.3 FM / 990 AM and on CBC News: Winnipeg on CBC Television.