Exchange District BIZ Executive Director David Pensato with AHWC Executive Director Della Herrera
Exchange District BIZ spreads the love with nearly 700 pounds of peanut butter donated to homelessness initiatives at the Winnipeg Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre!
By Karen Kornelsen
From November 27 to December 4, the Exchange District BIZ invited Winnipeggers to help the homeless by donating jars of peanut butter when visiting the area. The Exchange District Peanut Butter Drive saw people from every corner of the City collectively donate nearly 700 pounds of peanut butter at one of 20 participating businesses. That peanut butter will be put to good use at the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre (AHWC), where it will be used for their various homelessness outreach and care initiatives.
Packed with protein, peanut butter and other nut-butter spreads are always in demand at homeless shelters across Winnipeg, which is what gave one Exchange District business owner the idea.
“When one of our long-time members approached me with the idea, I knew it was something we could get behind,” said David Pensato, Executive Director of the Exchange District BIZ. “Even if we were just able to try it out this year on a small-scale and then build on it in future years.”
The drive turned out to be a huge success with 692 pounds (314 kilograms) of peanut butter donated to the AHWC. The AHWC offers a continuum of holistic and contemporary healing support services that addresses both the social and clinical needs of individuals living within the urban Aboriginal community in Winnipeg.
“Food insecurity is often a situation that many homeless individuals face within our community,” said Della Herrera, Executive Director of the AHWC. “Many of the individuals have limited access to nutritional foods, so peanut butter is a source of protein that can assist in this area. The AHWC would like to thank the Exchange District BIZ and all of those who contributed to the recent Peanut Butter Drive. We assure you that your support will go a long way in supporting our services that work towards ending homelessness.”
You can check out all the businesses that participated in the Exchange District Peanut Butter Drive at www.exchangedistrict.org/peanutbutterdrive/