Salvation Army in Fort Frances Expands Support for Students

The Salvation Army in Fort Frances, Ont., has been focusing on assisting younger generations through programs that fight food insecurity and provide access to essential items. These initiatives have been made possible through partnerships with the local Rainy River District School Board and Shoppers Drug Mart.

Providing Nutrition to Students

Ryan Daw, community ministries coordinator in Fort Frances, joined the local Food Scarcity Committee to learn how The Salvation Army could help combat food insecurity. After connecting with the representative of the local school board, Ryan realized there was an important need to be met.

“We started talking about problems that were happening in the school. Many students have parents struggling with addiction, so it was likely that if they were facing food scarcity, they were not accessing the food bank themselves,” Ryan shares. “We thought this was a great opportunity to bridge the gap and make sure our students got healthy, nutritious meals.”

This collaboration led the Army to supply fruits and vegetables to six schools within the district.

“The district receives a large quantity of vegetables and fruits that we drop off. Then they distribute these to various schools. The food goes in bags that students can grab and take home. There are no barriers,” Ryan explains.

Last year, between 10,000 and 11,000 meals were provided thanks to this partnership.

Teaching Students to Cook

Following their successful partnership with the school board, the Army was invited by Fort Francis High School to participate in an initiative that gives students tools to prepare their own meals.

“The program is called ‘You are the Chef,’” Ryan shares. “Here, students learn how to create delicious meals. These skills can help them in the future.”

The Salvation Army supports this program by providing the ingredients used to teach students how to cook.

In the future, Ryan hopes to attend one of the lessons, along with other staff members, to have the opportunity to prepare food with the students.

Caring with Dignity

The assistance for students goes beyond food. This year, The Salvation Army in Fort Frances partnered with a local Shopper Drug Mart to provide personal care items.

“They approached me to ask how they can support the community,” Ryan shares. “I told them it would be a good idea to set up a bin at the store where people can donate clothing and feminine hygiene products. We then could redistribute them to high schools.”

These items are given out discretely and this partnership has already helped more than 40 students.

Community Partnerships

Ryan says The Salvation Army is open to building more partnerships in the future. He encourages the community to get involved.

“People can support these programs by donating to The Salvation Army or dropping by Shoppers Drug Mart and placing items in the box there. We are always here to help the community and I am appreciative of all their support,” Ryan adds. 

By Juan Romero