When one door closes, another opens, which remains true for the Winnipeg Beach Food Cupboard.
Following the closure of the Winnipeg Beach Food Cupboard, residents wondered if there’d be another resource for those in need. Lisa Teel ran the previous food cupboard with the help of volunteers, and when she had to close her Airbnb to comply with town bylaws, Teel had to close the cupboard as she could no longer run it full-time.
Not to worry, though—former food cupboard volunteers Lori and Don Sul have taken on the project, officially opening the Winnipeg Beach Food Connection last week.
“We help a lot of people,” said Lori. “And people need food.”
Winnipeg Beach Food Connection has 12 volunteers involved in stocking shelves, taking requests, and ensuring the new food cupboard runs smoothly. The group is working out of the old Winnipeg Beach Food Cupboard building that was given to the organization by the town. The building sits at 23 Stitt Street and will be open to the community on Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Lori said Winnipeg Beach Food Connection is hoping the variety of days and times will allow everyone who needs to visit the food cupboard when able to.
The new food cupboard opened on Tuesday, Aug. 20, but before that, the Suls were already receiving and filling food requests.
When the Winnipeg Beach Food Cupboard closed, Teel had just hosted a barbecue fundraiser, which left the group with $938. She donated that money to Winnipeg Beach Food Connection, which used the funds to buy food to stock their shelves. The group will also have a few hundred dollars to purchase fresh food at the local grocery stores.
As the Suls don’t know what the need for Winnipeg Beach Food Connection is yet, they’re asking for donations of nonperishable food items and money. Monetary donations allow them to purchase what they know the food cupboard needs and what they know the locals need. Donations of fresh food from gardens would also be greatly appreciated.
“One thing is more than we had before,” said Lori. “If somebody drops off one can, it’s one more than we had before.”
Before opening, Winnipeg Beach Food Connection received a $50 donation from a local who’d found and returned a lost phone — that $50 was from the person they returned the phone to.
To donate to Winnipeg Beach Food Connection, or to contact Lori Sul, call her at 204-832-4007 or follow the Facebook page.
