January 22, 2015 - 12:53 PM
SASKATOON - A Saskatchewan group is looking to help families in Nunavut who are paying $6 for a can of soup and $200 for a turkey.
Megan Clake of Helping Our Northern Neighbours says she wanted to get involved after seeing some of the high costs for basic groceries in the North.
She and her family have been sponsoring a single mom in Nunavut since November.
Clake is the organizer of the Saskatchewan chapter of the national group which started in British Columbia last summer.
Some of its members were from Saskatchewan, but interest in the group exploded and the provincial arm now has 200 members.
The group matches northern families in need with southern families who are willing to send food either as a one-time donation or as part of a longer-term sponsorship.
"It was just really hard to believe that whole communities are struggling with obtaining enough food to eat in a prosperous country like Canada," Clake said.
"We (her family) send up a food parcel every two months and it's really nice to know that we're making a difference ... if we send $100 worth of food, it's really saving our recipient family $400 to $500 on their monthly grocery bill."
Clake said she is looking for more people in the province to sponsor families, donate food or give money to cover shipping costs.
She hopes to expand the group further and possibly send care packages to families in need in northern Saskatchewan.
(CKOM)
News from © The Canadian Press, 2015