ATHABASCA — A long-time Athabascan is aiming to help tackle food insecurity by creating food baskets for local residents trying to put food on the table.
For a growing number of Albertans, putting food on the table is easier said than done. According to Food Banks Canada, food banks in the province saw more than 174,000 visits in 2023, a 12 per cent increase from 2022, and a 94 per cent increase from 2019.
And Tamisan Bencz-Knight, manager of strategic relations and partnerships for Edmonton Food Bank, told Global News in an Oct. 8 segment more than 40,000 city residents are served per month through the food hamper program.
Long-time Athabascan Paula Kitto said she was surprised and saddened to hear statistics about food bank reliance, and even before Bencz-Knight’s appearance on the morning news, she put her mind to making a difference in her own way.
“It just came to me the other day, I was thinking about Thanksgiving,” said Kitto in an Oct. 9 interview. “I am grateful often because we are farmers, and I enjoy the fact that we can grow our own food.”
With growing food insecurity and a struggling economy in mind, Kitto posted her intention to help two households in need this Thanksgiving season by sharing the fruits of her labours.
Equipped with beef she raised and produced and a sourdough hobby she recently started, Kitto decided to create two meal baskets for locals going without for Thanksgiving.
“I thought, ‘Well, jeez, I’ve got some hamburger. It’s not a turkey, it’s not a whole meal, but I could help somebody out.’”
Her post on social media didn’t go unnoticed; locals started commenting with cash and food contributions of their own, a gesture Kitto said was “fantastic,” especially from strangers.
“The one lady that I picked up stuff from yesterday, I didn’t know her from anybody, nor did she know me, so I thought that was pretty great.”
In addition to beef and bread, the baskets will be stuffed with garden veggies like potatoes, carrots, beets, onions, along with rice and a box of cake mix and icing.
“Another lady sent me an e-transfer so I was able to buy a small turkey and a ham for each basket,” added Kitto. “I’ll probably buy a pumpkin to throw in the basket and maybe a pumpkin pie.”
Stigma and shame
But filling the baskets has proven easier than finding a recipient for them, said Kitto.
“We can all use a hand up. It’s a tough time, and the economy is horrible. I think what I was looking for was somebody that was just really down on their luck, maybe they’ve lost their job recently or they’re really struggling to get by in the moment.”
In spite of the high numbers of food bank usage all across the province, the number of locals reaching out to receive a basket was less than Kitto expected.
According to research by the Edmonton Food Bank in partnership with the Walmart Foundation, 54 per cent of survey respondents across Canada cited shame as the biggest barrier to accessing a food bank.
More than 2,800 food-insecure households across the country responded to the survey, which was published as part of a larger study in April 2024, led by a group of peer researchers with personal food insecurity experience.
When asked what stood out most to them during the process, one peer researcher touched on the widespread stigma around food insecurity.
“In just about every interview, the participant mentioned how ashamed and embarrassed they were to need assistance due to the circumstances in their lives. Yet nearly every participant’s message to their fellow Canadians was that nobody else should feel embarrassed or ashamed.”
Kitto said despite the lack of outwardly expressed interest, she hopes the baskets will make a difference to at least two people or families and said maybe other community members will be inspired to give back in their own ways.
“Because I can, I thought I’d share, and I enjoy sharing and giving if I can,” she said.
“If I don’t do it, maybe someone else will say, ‘Hey, let’s keep this going.’”
