Winnipeg’s Sikh community helps shatter food drive goal

Members of Winnipeg’s Sikh community came together to host a food drive aimed at giving back to those in need.

The annual food drive coincides with Sikh Heritage Month.

“This food drive, we do it every year in the month of April, which is a very sacred month for us,” said Varinder Kaur Ghuman, the director of Khalsa Aid’s Manitoba chapter.

“This year, it’s based more on aiding the struggle that the food banks are facing because the prices are rising, the inflation is there and the food banks are struggling.”

The drive is called “Fill the Truck Challenge” – with the goal of filling a five-tonne truck with non-perishable food items by the end of April.

“It’s part of the 20,000 meals nationally, which I think the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) has already surpassed that just by themselves – 35,000 meals they just did last week – so this is beyond whatever our goals have been nationally,” said Ghuman.

Khalsa Aid along with Sikh Heritage Manitoba will be donating the food to Harvest Manitoba, Bear Clan Patrol, Helping Hands Steinbach and Main Street Project.

“We’re just bringing them together, putting them in boxes, filling up that truck and showing everyone how much the hard work has truly paid off. It’s a visual of how much is has paid off,” said Mahekleen Kaur Gill, a board member with Sikh Heritage Manitoba.

For members of the Sikh community, giving back is simply part of their belief system.

“It translates very perfectly with the concept of ‘seva,’” said Gill. “So ‘seva’ is pretty often translated to ‘selfless service.’ The intention is basically we as a community know that we have the capabilities of coming together to collect money, to collect food and give them to food banks.”

Anastasia Ziprick from Main Street Project says food drives like this one provide crucial support for the community.

“There are some high-value items that we sometimes run out,” said Ziprick, the group’s director of development. “So just the basics – meat, dairy, good-quality produce, fresh produce, baby formula – all of those items are high-need, high-value items.

“Food insecurity, it’s never been more intense.”

Meanwhile Khalsa Aid now owns a re-distribution facility in hopes to continue serving Winnipeggers.

“It was a huge thing for Khalsa Aid Canada because this is the first ever acquisition that we purchased today,” said Ghuman.