Five years of healthy food

Health, Wellness & Recreation

Hockey star – and Nourishing Potential ambassador – Jonathan Toews, during the 2015 launch of the I Joined Jonathan campaign at Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre.

The Winnipeg Foundation’s Nourishing Potential initiative was established in 2011 to help provide healthy food and nutrition education to Winnipeg youth, with a five-year goal of building a $5 million endowment, generating approximately $250,000 each year in grants.

“We were hearing from many youth-serving organizations that they didn’t necessarily have the resources available to provide healthy snacks,” says Megan Tate, The Foundation’s Director of Community Grants. “We established the Nourishing Potential Fund as a way for donors to contribute, and for The Winnipeg Foundation to provide grant support to community organizations.”

Along the way, The Foundation launched several projects to promote Nourishing Potential and its community impact.

In 2014, kids in Grades 4 to 6 shared their healthy sandwich creations in The Foundation’s Recipe for Success Video Cooking Contest. The Grand Prize winner, Strathcona Elementary School’s Wrap of Awesomeness, was featured at Red River College’s Culinary Exchange restaurant.

To help in the push toward the fund’s $5 million goal, NHL star and Stanley Cup Champion Jonathan Toews became an ambassador for Nourishing Potential in the summer of 2015. Over 10 weeks, 341 generous donors joined Jonathan supporting Nourishing Potential and raising $644,000, helping the fund reach its goal by fall 2015.


This story is featured in the Fall 2019 issue of our Working Together magazine. Download or view the full issue on our Publications page.


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