WINNIPEG – It has never been a job for David Northcott, but after more than 30 years at Winnipeg Harvest, he’s handing over the reins.
“It’s the time to look around and look at my family,” Northcott said. “I have three daughters, they would often tease me my fourth child was Winnipeg Harvest.”
Northcott made his retirement announcement Thursday, and as soon as the news spread through the building on Winnipeg Ave., he was met with handshakes and tears.
Harvest helps tens of thousands of families every year with food hampers.
Those clients often become volunteers.
“A family or a person who has huge issues in their life or a huge stress on their shoulders and they come here and make the hamper for the next family. Nothing is sweeter than that,” Northcott said.
Northcott said he had hoped his legacy was going to be a reduction in poverty rates so great that Winnipeggers would no longer require the foodbank.
“I’m very proud that we’re still here but the goal should have been ‘let’s close the food bank,” Northcott said.
Since he joined Harvest in 1984 Northcott has received the Order of Manitoba, the Order of Canada and the Queen’s Canada 125 medal.