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The Great Pumpkin Rescue

Our Winnipeg City Coordinator joined forces with Compost Winnipeg for their 4th annual Pumpkin Drop on November 2nd.

This event was a HUGE success and a triple threat… Compost Winnipeg collected 15,558 lbs total during the event, over 2,425 lbs went to the Little Red Barn animal sanctuary, and Leftovers was able to rescue and redirect over 300lbs of edible pumpkins and squash to be brought to community kitchens and service agencies providing a hot meal.

Did you know that in 2022, 73,603 tonnes of pumpkins were produced in Canada? Unfortunately, most of them never have the chance to become a tasty pie or a hearty soup. Our tradition of carving, painting, and decorating pumpkins results in a massive contribution to greenhouse gas emissions when we send them to the landfill. Luckily there are options to mitigate this!

Here’s how you can have a more sustainable Halloween:

  • Avoid throwing pumpkins in the garbage! Divert this waste to your organics bin or backyard compost heap. Community gardens, zoos, and farms often accept leftover pumpkins to feed their animals and produce compost.
  • Eat your pumpkins! The seeds can be seasoned and baked for a nutrient-dense snack—learn more here. The flesh can also be baked or boiled and pureed to be added to soup, pies or baked goods.
  • Source your pumpkins from local farms: buying locally cuts carbon emissions and pollution associated with transportation. Your pumpkin will be fresher, and you’ll be supporting your local economy.
  • DID YOU KNOW? Compost Winnipeg has multiple free community drop-off locations around the city. You can find your nearest bin on this map. Drop off your kitchen scraps and pumpkins any time of year.

1) Statistics Canada. (2018) Halloween… by the numbers. Retrieved from https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/dai/smr08/2018/smr08_227_2018

2) Scholz, A. (2021, October 19) Fighting Waste, One Pumpkin at a Time. Earth Day Canada. Retrieved from https://earthday.ca/2021/10/19/fighting-waste-one-pumpkin-at-a-time/

3) Alsafi, N. (2022, October 18). Smashing pumpkin-based emissions this Halloween. The Starfish. Retrieved from https://thestarfish.ca/journal/2022/10/smashing-pumpkin-based-emissions-this-halloween

4) Brown, M. J., & Richter, A. (2023, January 11). Top 11 Science-Based Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds. Healthline. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-benefits-of-pumpkin-seeds

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Kin Volunteer

We’re currently recruiting volunteers who want to help serve coffee and be a part of a fun new social initiative.

  • Volunteer shifts are 4 hours long
  • Shifts are either 7am-11am or 11am-3pm
  • 2 people are needed per shift, so sign up with your partner or a friend
  • You can volunteer as little or as much as you’d like
  • Sign-ups will be live on the Leftovers Rescue Food app soon

There will be a mandatory in-person training for all new Kin volunteers. This training will be brief, but will go over setup & tear down, food safety, POS terminal instruction and PWYW info.

If you’re interested in volunteering, please send an email to [email protected] expressing which shift and dates you’re interested in covering.

Volunteer

*Please note that all Kin volunteers need to be vaccinated as per YMCA and AHS Covid Policy.*

Learn more about Kin

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Friday, September 30th

Today we are observing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We encourage you to read the 94 Calls to Action and commit to working towards at least one of them.

94 Calls to Action

You can also donate to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society.

Donate

COVID-19 Guidelines - Growers

Hello Growers,
THANK YOU for your commitment to reducing food waste and helping those experiencing food insecurity!
Below are some COVID guidelines to keep in mind when requesting a harvest:
  • CANCEL YOUR HARVEST REQUEST if you and/or someone that you have been in contact with is not feeling well, has travelled within 14 days, has been in close contact with a confirmed case of the Coronavirus, or are awaiting test results.
  • If you choose to keep some of the harvested food, please WASH IT BEFORE CONSUMING.
  • Please avoid contact with harvest volunteers. If you do interact with them in person, please ensure you MAINTAIN PHYSICAL DISTANCE AND WEAR A MASK. 
If you have any questions at all, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you so much for your help and willingness to be there for our community!

COVID-19 Guidelines

VolunteersGrowers
Hello Volunteers,
THANK YOU for your commitment to reducing food waste and helping those experiencing food insecurity!
Below are some COVID guidelines to keep in mind while harvesting on behalf of Home Harvest:
  • You must SIGN A WAIVER prior to attending a harvest
  • Volunteers who sign up in the app must keep a record of everyone who attends each harvest with them so that they can be notified if needed for contact-tracing purposes
  • Please WEAR A MASK throughout the harvest and WASH YOUR HANDS/USE HAND SANITIZER before and after the harvest (and during, if necessary). Contact [email protected] if you’d like a reusable mask.
  • PHYSICAL DISTANCING MUST BE PRACTICED AT ALL TIMES. Please ensure you maintain physical distance from individuals not in your cohort, including other harvest volunteers and growers. 
  • DO NOT HARVEST FOOD if you and/or someone that you have been in close contact with is not feeling well, has travelled within 14 days, has been in contact with a confirmed case of the Coronavirus, or are awaiting test results.
  • SANITIZE SURFACES you come in contact with (fences, gates, tools, equipment) before and after the harvest.
  • LEAVE NO TRACE. Please take home any sanitizing equipment, masks and garbage created throughout the pick. 
  • Practice NO CONTACT DROP OFFS at agencies (ensure that the food is in a safe/covered area).
  • Bags or boxes that you are using to contain/transport the harvested food do not need to be sterilized, but please ensure they are clean.
Please Note: Volunteers are not responsible for washing fruit before donation to charities. Charities that accept fruit donations will be responsible for fruit washing before food preparation and/or eating.
If you have any questions at all, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you so much for your help and willingness to be there for our community!
Hello Growers,
THANK YOU for your commitment to reducing food waste and helping those experiencing food insecurity!
Below are some COVID guidelines to keep in mind when requesting a harvest:
  • CANCEL YOUR HARVEST REQUEST if you and/or someone that you have been in contact with is not feeling well, has travelled within 14 days, has been in close contact with a confirmed case of the Coronavirus, or are awaiting test results.
  • If you choose to keep some of the harvested food, please WASH IT BEFORE CONSUMING.
  • Please avoid contact with harvest volunteers. If you do interact with them in person, please ensure you MAINTAIN PHYSICAL DISTANCE AND WEAR A MASK. 
If you have any questions at all, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you so much for your help and willingness to be there for our community!

COVID-19 Update

Hello Leftovers Partners and Volunteers,

Your commitment to reducing food waste and increasing food access in our community is so incredibly valued – THANK YOU!

Due to COVID-19, many businesses are temporarily shutting their doors and cancelling events. As a result, we have seen a significant change in the frequency and volume of donations. At the same time, access to food has never been more difficult for many members of our community. Whether it’s students who have been isolated from their only meals of the day, seniors who are at-risk every time they leave home, or the many who have recently lost their jobs due to this crisis, we are seeing an unprecedented need for access to food.

  • Please ensure that all donations are covered/wrapped.
  • Please wear a mask and wash your hands/use sanitizer frequently when handling food donations. Do not touch the food itself. Contact [email protected] if you’d like a reuseable mask.
  • Practice no-contact drop offs at agencies (ensure that the food is in a safe/covered area).
  • Do not rescue food if you and/or someone that you have been in contact with is not feeling well, has travelled within 14 days, or been in contact with a confirmed case of the Coronavirus.

We are posting changes/cancellations to food donation routes on the app as they come in. All routes that are posted on the app are as up-to-date as possible. If a donor or agency tells you they’d like to cancel or change hours, please email this feedback to [email protected] (Calgary), [email protected] (Edmonton) or [email protected] (Winnipeg) so we can update the app.

If you have any questions at all, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you so much for your help and willingness to be there for our community!