New Brunswick Charity Sends $50K of Food to Arctic Town

When Rev. Zbigniew Halemba saw a shipping container filled with groceries arrive in Igloolik last month, he knew he'd need help. Within hours, 20 volunteers including students and teachers showed up to move $50,000 worth of food into his church.

The massive donation came from A Tapestry of Kindness, a charity run by husband and wife Rick and Linda Maher in Saint John, New Brunswick. Their friend Charlie Cahill funds the operation, and together they're on a mission to send two shipping containers of food to remote Nunavut communities each year.

Rick Maher purchased the groceries in bulk near Quebec, choosing staples like peanut butter, pasta, tomato sauce, tea, sugar, cereal, and canned vegetables. The container traveled north by sealift, the main cargo service for Arctic communities where fresh food is scarce and expensive.

By August 30, Halemba and his volunteers had distributed approximately 200 food hampers to families in Igloolik, a community of about 2,000 people. Many residents told him this was the first donation of its kind they'd experienced.

For Halemba, who moved to Canada from Poland in 2021 and arrived in Igloolik just four months earlier, the food distribution became an unexpected gift. Moving boxes and meeting neighbors helped him connect with a community still getting to know him.

The Ripple Effect

The impact went beyond full pantries. Halemba sees the donation as a chance to heal old divisions between Anglican and Catholic residents in the community, wounds that still linger in some Arctic towns.

"I believe that those things, like giving away food, sharing, or praying together, help somehow repair something that was a little bit broken in the past," he said.

The Mahers started their charity in January 2025 and made their first donation to Gjoa Haven in September that year. Transportation alone costs about $12,000 per container, so they've applied for grant funding from Nutrition North Canada to help cover shipping costs and expand their reach.

This small team of friends from St. John's, Newfoundland, who've known each other since university, is proving that big change doesn't require big organizations. Just dedication, smart planning, and a shipping container full of hope.