THUNDER BAY -- Give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day, but teach a man how to fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime.
That's the strategy the Regional Food Bank is planning for this year's growing season.
Soon, this community garden next to the Lakehead Region Conservation office will be full of fresh fruits and vegetables.
The food bank, in partnership with the LRCA and Sodexo Food Services, is tilling the soil and planting seeds to not only supply the hungry in the Northwest but also provide gardening skills for people in remote communities.
RFDA executive director Volker Kromm they’re hoping to get small greenhouses owned and operated by each of the First Nation communities and some of the regional communities so they can produce their own.
“Quite frankly, the health requirements of people are demanding that we address healthy food, so perishable foods is a natural outlet,” Kromm said.
“Perishable foods are a natural outlet, so we are looking at ways we could get some supplied during the harvest season by the local farmers around the country, but we also need to address those off periods.”
Sodexo Food Hunger Foundation executive director Katherine Power said the focus is not to give someone a fish but to teach them how to fish.
“This really ties into our mandate of what we are trying to do, which is really to create sustainable change rather than just short-term fixes,” Power said.
Sodexo and the RFDA are now encouraging their volunteers to visit the community garden and help get it prepared for the upcoming planting season.
(TBT News)
