Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids (BB4CK) wants to ensure Calgarians are aware thousands of kids starting school this fall will be arriving to their classrooms without a lunch.
On weekday mornings, volunteers gather at the organization's downtown kitchen to make thousands of lunches every day.
Audrea Braun has been volunteering with BB4CK for about a year and spends time in the morning helping in the kitchen before she heads to her downtown office.
"We’re in the middle of a downturn, it lasted a lot longer than people thought it would and wherever we can support we should," said Braun.
Going without a lunch can leave kids struggling to concentrate, learn, or reach their full potential.
Grade 12 student Ella Shield volunteers at BB4CK with her friend Natalie before their classes. "I think it would be really difficult for them to focus and learn, because they’re just busy thinking about being hungry and wanting food."
The number of kids in need of the lunch program has more than doubled in the past two years. BB4CK has an initiative where Calgarians can become a Hunger Hero by investing $40 a month to feed a child in need.
"We are aware of over 4,000 hungry kids who are starting the school year this September without access to adequate, healthy food," said Tanya Koshowski, executive director of BB4CK. "We need to ensure that these kids receive a healthy lunch every day. To us, lunch is the most important school supply."
Koshowski says, with the help of sponsors and suppliers, a single healthy lunch made by volunteers costs about $2.
In 2018, BB4CK’s 2,500 volunteers worked with 227 Calgary schools to provide almost one million healthy lunches to kids who would otherwise go hungry. These children rely on these lunches to grow up healthy, strong, and ready to participate in their communities.
"They are also receiving a sense of love and belonging, a real sense of caring that someone cares enough about them to make sure they get fed," said Koshowski, who adds that caring for the children improves their mental health, wellness and sense of belonging.
Hunger Heroes monthly support creates a reliable source of funding year-round and provides lunches to children facing hunger every single day.
More information about BB4CK and its Hunger Hero program can be found at YYC Feeds Kids
