REGINA - A group of Regina residents have banded together to approach food insecurity with care and intention.
The Matriarch's Collective, which first formed two years ago, focuses on preparing meals for those in need.
"[This initially began around the time of the City of Regina's encampment,' said Sarah Mercer, one of The Matriarch's Collective founding members.
In 2023, a tent encampment was formed in front of city hall, which started growing in size.
The purpose of the encampment was to raise awareness of the ongoing homelessness crisis in Regina.
Volunteers, including Mercer and Kelsey Aitcheson, one of The Matriarch's Collective founding members, aided those in need at the site.
the Regina Police Service (RPS) and Regina Fire and Protective Services (RFPS) ordered the decommissioning of the camp due to an imminent threat to public safety.
With people losing an area to access food and health, Mercer knew there was still a gap in the community.
So, Mercer, Aitcheson and a few others did an environment scan regarding the lack of food being offered to the community at certain periods of time.
Since most non-profit groups run on weekdays, the founding members identified Saturdays as the best day to run a group where meals are cooked for those in need.
Aitcheson herself had a connection to the street group, as many of her family and friends have gone through addictions and recovery while also spending time being homeless. This motivated her to find a way to give back.
As for Mercer, her inspiration came from the passing of her mother. Mercer’s mom didn’t have an easy life, moving to Calgary by herself as a 16-year-old parent, living on the streets.
Even with these challenges, "she was able to survive that [and] come back from that completely on her own," Mercer said.
"That left such a gaping hole in my heart to think about people in our community that could be facing such difficult times on their own, so what really matters to me is knowing that they're not alone."
Coming together
Since The Matriarch's Collective was formed, many volunteers have participated in their cooking sessions.
The group will split up between two locations on Saturday. One is the Regina Food Bank, and the other is multiple rotating locations.
Food is donated by groups who pick up goods from Second Harvest or certain ingredients supplied by the food bank. Certain members also watch out for discounted food at select grocery stores, which are offered through the Flashfood App.
The two groups will make soups, sandwiches, cookies and more. Depending on the time of the season, The Matriarch's Collective provides food to Carmichael Outreach, White Pony Lodge and other places during the winter.
In the summer, the group will hand out meals, hygiene kits, clothes and water in the 11th Avenue area.
Mercer believes they typically serve around 200 people per week. She acknowledged the rise in Regina’s food insecurity, as many more younger people have started taking cooked meals from the group.
One point Mercer emphasized is "there's not a shortage of food [in the city, but] we're lacking individuals that are able to prepare healthy meals and get the food out to the people, which prevents it from going into landfills or compost."
While Mercer described being able to cook for people in need every day as "a dream," she knows it would be tough with the responsibilities all the volunteers have.
The group is currenlty encouraging anyone interested to join their Saturday cooking sessions.
"We love new volunteers because they give us new insight and come with their own connections to the community. We really try to elevate and empower everybody that they know that we are a collective," said Mercer.
