‘It’s incredible, the need’: Program makes thousands of meals a week for N.B. seniors

A program provides thousands of meals for low-income seniors in New Brunswick.

Every week, Leah Knight is in charge of making up to 3,000 meals for low-income seniors in southeast New Brunswick.

“It’s incredible, the need,” said Knight.

Knight is the kitchen manager for the United Way of Greater Moncton and Southeastern New Brunswick’s Seniors Meal Program.

Knight’s team makes healthy meals in a former basement café in downtown Moncton, N.B.

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A group of volunteers, some of them seniors themselves, help package and deliver them.

She gets emotional when thinking about seniors living by themselves that deal with food insecurity.

“None of them should have to worry about where a meal is coming from or where food is coming from,” said Knight. “I don’t ever want a senior to think, ‘What will I eat tonight?’ Or, when they go to a grocery store, ‘Well, I can only get this, I can’t afford that.’ That shouldn’t happen in our country.”

The provincially and federally funded program provides anywhere from 200 to 300 seniors a week with up to 10 meals for just $1 each.

It started during the pandemic when a lot of low-income seniors lost access to where they usually got their meals.

Shala Gagnon, the volunteer engagement and event co-ordinator for the United Way, said post-COVID, they realized there was still a need.

“A lot of those connections were not re-established, and we realized that some of those people never had those community supports and connections in the first place,” said Gagnon.

Meals are delivered across the Greater Moncton area and up to an hour away in rural areas.

Gagnon said the volunteer drivers can sometimes make a connection when they make their deliveries.

“Especially in the winter, mobility can be a real problem so people can often be stuck inside and it can get quite lonely,” said Gagnon. “What makes the program so special is that connection. The seniors that we work with know every week they’ll be someone checking in on them. Someone asking them how they are.”

Knight said often the interaction with the drivers is the only contact some seniors will have that day.

“But they know that we’re here. They know that somebody is thinking of them, caring about them. They know that someone will come see them during the week and that’s vital to any human to have that contact,” said Knight.

Both Knight and Gagnon praised the work of the volunteers who help prep the meals, package them and make deliveries.

Catherine and Walter Draper were looking for a volunteer activity when they moved from Ottawa to Shediac, N.B.

Walter didn’t realize there was such a need.

“It is surprising yes, but we know it is a phenomenon that’s happening throughout the country,” said Walter. “Every little package, every little snap of that lid is prepared with just a little extra love I guess.”

Catherine said Knight and her kitchen staff are the backbone of the well-oiled operation and they feel proud to help keep the program running smoothly.

“We enjoy it. We enjoy coming here. It’s not like something we have to do. We look forward to it,” said Catherine.

The United Way is looking for more drivers to make deliveries to areas like Riverside-Albert, Port Elgin and Petitcodiac.

Anyone interested can contact them at [phone] or email [e-mail].

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.