Know Your Neighbours: Supporting Single-Parent Families Through Food Rescue in Newfoundland and Labrador

"We never see a busier time in our food bank than when school is closed," Danielle Seward, executive director at the Single Parent Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (SPANL), said.

For nearly four decades, SPANL has supported single-parent families across the province, helping parents build a stable future while ensuring they have access to the essentials they need today.

"We provide support for single-parent families all across Newfoundland and Labrador," Danielle said. "From helping parents return to the workforce to providing seasonal support throughout the year and, of course, operating our Single Parent Association food bank in St. John's, where we provide nutritious food for single parents and all of their kids."  

SPANL's mission is to empower single-parent families to become self-sufficient. Today, the organization supports more than 1,300 families, with the food bank serving around 40 families a week.  

The food bank is appointment-based, allowing families to access help privately and confidentially. Clients enter through a discreet rear entrance and receive customized food hampers tailored to their family's preferences, allergies and dietary or religious needs.

The organization is providing vital services at a critical time. Recent data found that 45.8% of single-parent families in Newfoundland and Labrador experienced food insecurity in 2025 — the highest rate of any household type in the province.

Increasingly, the parents accessing support are fully employed.

"Times are so tough and the cost of living is so high that they cannot make ends meet," Danielle explained.  

"Parents tell us about having to choose: Do I turn the heat on in my home to keep my kids warm, or do I feed them dinner tonight? That's a decision no parent should ever have to make, but it's the reality our clients are seeing every single day.”

Food insecurity is a reality that can touch anyone.

"Hunger doesn't discriminate against people. You never know what card you're going to be dealt in life or what situation you're going to find yourself in. The majority of clients who access our food bank never thought they were going to be hungry," Danielle shared.  

"To step forward and ask for help and do what you can to provide support for your kids – that is bravery by its very definition.”

"Through Second Harvest, we rescue prepared meals from our local hospitals," Danielle explained. "They're a great source of protein and vegetables that most of our parents can't afford to buy."

These meals are especially welcomed by families led by single working parents.

"Parents get so happy when they see it coming because they know they're getting a meal that's ready for their family," Nick Kelly, food bank manger at SPANL, shared. "Without organizations like Second Harvest, it would make our job impossible. Food rescue really fills a void. Food banks would never have the funds to get that kind of fresh, nutritious product."

"When we started distributing [prepared meals] to families last year, it was met with great reception but there was one parent in particular that will always stick in my mind,” Danielle recalled. She remembers seeing a parent who hadn't eaten that day open a prepared meal in their car after picking up their food hamper.

"This individual was the bravest parent I've seen come through here. They were going without eating. They were getting food that was ready to eat, but cold, and they were resorting to opening it in their car and eating it on the spot. That moment defined for me not only the importance of what we do, but the importance of rescuing this type of food that is so rich in nutrients and vitamins — not only for the children, but for the parents too," Danielle shared.

Hunger can exist quietly in our communities, often unseen by those around us.

"You're going to run into people in your daily life who are hungry, and you're not going to recognize it because they're going to try not to show it. People are choosing to feed their children over themselves and their partners over themselves," Matt Power, a long-time volunteer at the food bank, shared.

Matt knows that not everyone has the time or support needed to volunteer. He credits his parents, partner and friends for making it possible for him to give back to his community and says being able to volunteer at SPANL means the world to him.

"Know your neighbours. If you know your neighbours, you're going to know the people around you and the ways in which they need help. And they're going to know the ways you need help. Don't feel the need to wait to be asked,” Matt said.

That's how communities are built — by people showing up for one another, making sure their neighbours have what they need.

"Get to know the people around you. Make sure they're fed. We all look after each other. That's really what it comes down to," Matt reflected.

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