News Releases

News Release - Manitoba

June 25, 2020

Province Partners with Samaritan House for Home Nutrition Learning Pilot Program, Expanded Shelter Operations



BRANDON—The Manitoba government is investing over $930,000 in the Home Nutrition and Learning Pilot Program and expanded shelter operations for Samaritan House Ministries Inc., Families Minister Heather Stefanson announced here today. 
 
“This investment will help Samaritan House Ministries deliver nutritious foods, family-focused recipes and related learning activities to school-aged children who are part of families experiencing food disruption in Brandon,” said Stefanson. “During these challenging times, we are working together with communities to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic, and this program will help ensure that we are providing nutritious food and learning opportunities to families who need it.”   
 
Samaritan House Ministries is managing the Brandon pilot site, which will help ensure that over 3,000 school-aged children have access to nutritious foods, recipes and learning activities.
 
“Samaritan House Ministries is extremely excited to be rolling out this pilot project to offer nutritious breakfast foods to school-aged children,” said Barbara McNish, executive director, Samaritan House Ministries. “This will help with providing families the opportunity to have healthy protein, milk, fruit, vegetables and grains on a weekly basis. It takes a community to make this happen, and so we are grateful to our partners who will help ensure our families have access to healthy food and family-focused learning activities.” 
 
This site represents $800,000 of the $2.5-million Home Nutrition and Learning Pilot Program being offered in communities across Manitoba. More information can be found at www.manitoba.ca/nutritionlearningprogram
 
“I am so pleased to see Brandon and Samaritan House selected as a pilot site for the Home Nutrition and Learning Program,” said Mayor Rick Chrest, City of Brandon. “Samaritan House has been a valuable and efficient provider of regular nourishment and training for vulnerable people in our community, and their partnership with the government of Manitoba’s initiative will be encouraging and helpful to those in need of assistance.”
 
The minister noted the province is also investing $132,000 to ensure Samaritan House Ministries’ Safe and Warm Shelter can continue to operate over the summer months. The Safe and Warm Shelter is a 10-bed emergency shelter for adults who experience occasional homelessness.
 
These investments are part of the Manitoba Protection Plan, a government-wide response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister noted. 
 
Samaritan House also provides a resource centre and food bank, a training centre, an employment resource centre, a community garden program, housing units for women and their children who have been victims of domestic violence, and a variety of other services. For more information on Samaritan House, visit www.samaritanhouse.net/.
 
A comprehensive list of Manitoba government COVID-19 measures can be found at: https://manitoba.ca/bg/2020/04/covid19.html.
 
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