Asahtowikamik, new Regina food hub, offers more choice to people with food insecurity

People from all walks of life gathered Thursday to support the ribbon cutting and naming reveal of the new food hub model that the Regina Food Bank will now offer.

The new hub is called BMO Asahtowikamik in Cree — which translates to feeding lodge in English. The project started about two years ago, with plans to give residents who have food insecurity the opportunity to have an experience of choosing what they wanted, instead of accepting what they get. 

Regina Food Bank's President and CEO John Bailey said they are excited to finally see this opened.

"The first piece is the ability to provide choice and empowerment," said Bailey.

When somebody walks to the door at this new food bank, which officially opens for use Aug. 16, they will be greeted by a staff member or volunteer who will make sure they have an appointment and give them a blank shopping list.

The new model gives people a sense of how much of each type of product they can grab and what they need.

There will even be a point of sales system — to give an experience like a grocery store — but the total will always end with a zero.

Meeting the need

"We still know there's about a 30 per cent gap, 40 per cent gap between the total need in the community and what we're able to serve," Bailey said.

Bailey said this is going to be a big step forward in terms of meeting that need, and the food hub will flow through about 25 per cent more client appointments.

He said last year they spent about $2 million on food provisions, so they want to make sure they are spending it on things people need.

"It's not about cost savings, but optimizations about investing in a way that serves our community better," said Bailey.

Since most of the people who walk through the doors of the food bank are women and children, just behind the building is a new play structure and soon-to-be basketball court, with sitting areas all around.

There will be limits of how much someone can take to make sure there is enough food to feed everyone who comes through.

Bailey said their goal is to give people three to five meals per week.

"I want to stress being able to pick what you don't want and not have that burden of having a product that you can't use and then trying to figure out what you to do with it," said Bailey. 

"While feeling some level of guilt that somebody else isn't able to get. It is really important to us and this space allows us to start doing that."

The City of Regina Mayor Sandra Masters was invited to speak and give support at the official opening.

"We want to be supporters of those organizations who do so much to ensure our residents have access to nutritious food and giving residents the right to choose food that their family needs," she said.

Masters said that the Regina Food Bank does so much for the city and they are proud to support this new hub that will enhance its residents' food security.

The Regina Food Bank partnered with BMO to help make this possible. June Zimmer, the regional president of Western Canada for BMO Private Wealth was there to announce its gift of $1 million dollars to the new hub.

"This donation is making a difference in our community by providing more options and greater food security for those that need it most," said Zimmer.

She said investing in the communities they serve is part of their commitment to making progress by eliminating barriers to inclusion.

More than simply eating

A year ago the board and capital committee from the Regina Food bank met with Elder Murray Ironchild from Piapot First Nation to talk about the goals for the new hub.

The Regina Food Bank's vice-president community David Froh was in attendance at a ceremony when the name was given.

"It reminds us that when we eat, we do more than simply eat, we share stories, we celebrate, we mourn, we gather and we build community," said Froh.

Froh said on the first day they open at 9:00 a.m., he hopes to see a mother and her children visit the facility to walk through the hub like a typical grocery store.

"I hope when they leave, they'll leave with their head held high," said Froh.