With fluctuations in taxes, rent and product prices, it can be challenging to stay afloat financially. This struggle is not lost on Lisa Teel, a Winnipeg Beach resident and creator of a helpful space for those in need.
The idea for the Winnipeg Beach Food Cupboard came about when taxes were raised significantly in the Winnipeg Beach area.
Teel realized how difficult it might become for people to afford groceries after the other financial burdens they face. So, in the summer of 2023, she sought permission from town council, and by the fall, a community food cupboard was up and running.
“There are some pretty good staples. We try to stock protein,” said Teel, who regularly visits the cupboard at the Winnipeg Beach Municipal Recreation Centre to ensure the space is tidy and everything is running smoothly.
“We’re not going to save everyone’s life… But what are the three essentials in life? Food, shelter and water. And we can provide food.”
When it comes to letting community members know what is needed in the cupboard, Teel thinks of what she used to cook for her kids when they were younger, she said.
She finds members of both her community and surrounding areas to be quite generous; the cupboard is generally stocked full of food staples like cereal, Kraft Dinner, salmon and tuna, peanut butter, bags of sugar, flour, soup stock, coffee, tea, Hamburger Helper, beans and more.
Teel is also available to contact her privately for people who need perishables such as milk, bread, and eggs.
A group of volunteers, who show up when needed, also help to run the cupboard.
The cupboard is a smaller operation for people who are nearby and can get there on foot, but also for anyone who needs to come and share in the generosity of those who contribute donations. Anyone can drop off food at the Rec Centre.
Although monetary donations are not the cupboards focus, cash is accepted into an account for the Winnipeg Beach General Store cupboard, and generally goes toward purchasing perishable foods which are harder to access through the cupboard.
“What I can’t supplement, I put a plea out for, and people drop it off. There is lots of local interaction. We’ve got the grocery stores that keep accounts of money for us; we have a farm donating honey and a local business donating wood,” Teel said.
Around Christmas time, Winnipeg Beach School donated 14 large boxes of food to the cupboard, some of which were shared with Evergreen Basic Needs, another organization helping to provide community members with food security.
As the months grow warmer, Teel hopes to add a fresh food cart to the food cupboard system; community members are already interested and volunteering to donate fresh fruit and vegetables.
Her contact information can be found on the cupboard for anyone who needs it.
