A Winnipeg man who heard on the news that local seniors were having trouble reaching an affordable grocery store decided to buy a school bus and offer a free weekly shuttle.

Laurence Rosenberg grew up in a north end neighbourhood now known as a ‘food desert,’ because it lacks access to groceries beyond what’s sold at convenience stores.

A few years ago, he saw a report that a volunteer who had helped north end seniors avoid cab fares by driving them to grocery stores in his minivan was no longer able to do it.

Rosenberg says he turned to his wife Elizabeth and said: “Why don’t we buy a school bus and I’ll figure out how to get my licence and we will offer to drive up to 32 people around to get groceries?”She agreed to help.

Rosenberg is a successful tech entrepreneur but most of his regulars on the bus don’t seem to know it. “We kind of like it that way,” he said.

Rosenberg said the seniors seem very appreciative. “You can just see it in their hearts and in their eyes,” he said.

Elizabeth called the experience “incredibly rewarding personally” and said “hopefully this will encourage others.”

James Willard, a local senior with a medical condition that makes walking difficult, recently took the shuttle to buy the ingredients for chilli and a salad.

Willard said he’s thankful for the weekly service, which takes him to all his favourite stores. “The only couple stores we have near us are so expensive,” he said.

Jasmine Tara, from the volunteer-based North End Food Security Network, said that riding the bus is a special experience. “There’s no such thing as having a bad day if you ride this shuttle."

With reports from CTV’s Jill Macyshon and CTV Winnipeg