With Alberta schools empty since Oct. 6 due to a teachers’ strike, Brown Bags for Calgary’s Kids (BB4CK) usual delivery service of nearly 8,000 school lunches, has become somewhat obsolete.
For Bethany Ross, executive director at BB4CK, school or no school, kids still need lunch. For the time being, BB4CK will be operating out of the next best thing to schools.
“Working with community partners to provide food in accessible community locations has become a great next option,” she said.
“Particularly for students who rely on accessing food at school, that access being cut off when they’re not able to attend school can be really tough.”
Through phase one of their plan, BB4CK will distribute lunches out of nine community locations spread across Calgary, including YMCA Saddletowne, Trellis East/Penbrooke Hub, Trellis Bowness Club and Patch Shaganappi. Should labour action continue, more sites will be added.
Beginning as early as 6:30 a.m., BB4CK lunches are made daily by over 650 weekly volunteers across Calgary. Each lunch includes a sandwich, fruit, vegetables, and a snack. Sandwich options include turkey and cheese, ham and cheese, cheese, halal meat option and a no-nut pea butter and jam sandwich.
With students out of school, feeding kids who rely on school lunches has added to parent stressors like finding last-minute day care, Ross said. In swapping from a delivery service to some 290 Calgary schools, to a nine-location pickup method, BB4CK estimates that fewer students will access their lunch services, compared to a regular school day.
Currently, it’s tough to estimate how many lunches are being made and distributed, according to a BB4CK statement. Supply changes daily with specific location demands.
According to the company website’s FAQ section, BB4CK wants pickup to be as barrier-free as possible. Families picking up do not need to show ID or register. Varying location to location, pickup is generally available from 10 am-4:30 pm.
Through two days, the pickup system is a good stopgap, with locations sharing that the first days have been good opportunities to connect with families, according to a BB4CK statement, but many lunches are still available, with more delivered daily.
Ross said that BB4CK is flexible and families are encouraged to work with locations to fill their needs.
“We absolutely would invite families to pick up lunches for the whole week, or to pick up for other families who can’t make it,” Ross said.
