North Winnipeg seniors who find it difficult to get out to buy food themselves can now take a bus directly to the grocery store.
The Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal Corp. has partnered with city councillors Jeff Browaty and Jason Schreyer — who gave $7,000 — to operate the monthly food bus run for seniors in Elmwood and East and North Kildonan until the end of the year.
The program allows seniors, many of whom have low incomes and mobility issues, to be taken to the Superstore and Walmart on Regent Avenue for free.
“For a first time program, I thought it went very well,” said 84-year-old Jim Ledingham who lives with his 81-year-old wife, Diane, in an assisted-living residence in East Kildonan.
“Everybody was happy. The schedule was right on. We had about an hour or so to shop and we took our time to see where everything was. And, afterwards, the bus took us right to the front door. It was great.”
Leilana Villarba, the corporation’s executive director, said the idea of the bus to help seniors shop for groceries came up during a meeting to discussing various challenges faced by residents.
Villarba said 76 seniors signed up for the program, which ran last Thursday, with just over 40 being transported on the bus chartered from Winnipeg Transit.
“We timed it after they received their OAS (Old Age Security) so they would have the money to buy groceries,” she said. “But we noticed people who are on fixed incomes, or from vulnerable populations, may have spent their money already or their mental or physical capacity wasn’t there for this time.”
Villarba said they learned that because many of the seniors use walkers, many which don’t fold down, it resulted in some space issues on the bus.
“We ran one chartered bus with two trips,” she said. “If all 76 had come it would have been difficult to fill the bus with all the mobility aids and groceries.”
But Villarba said the trip shows the service is needed, and is likely also needed in other parts of the city.
“We’ve had overwhelming response with people asking when the next one is,” she said. “We are hoping it becomes permanent.”
Ledingham said without the service he can take a regular bus to a grocery store, but then he has to rely on family members to give him a ride home.
“This is ideal for us,” he said. “I hope it flies.”
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Kevin Rollason
Reporter
Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press’s city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.
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