A program meant to provide healthy lunches for Calgary school kids says it is seeing a steady increase in the number of children in need of help.
Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids (BB4CK) is an agency that helps provide lunches for more than 4,200 children that would otherwise go without.
Officials with the group say that number is increasing every September and while they have about 1,500 donors and supporters, they are still in need of help as the school year sets in.
Tanya Koshowski, executive director of BB4CK, wants to invite all Calgarians to become regular donors to the service to help out.
“$40 a month will feed a child for a month and our goal is to sign up 1,000 monthly donors so we can achieve our goals.”
She says that the lunch is just the first step and she wants to make sure that all children in need across the city are fed no matter the circumstances.
The service they provide helps give the children a sense of love and belonging because someone has cared enough to give them a lunch.
“That sense of belonging will keep them out of that poverty cycle and help them to be better educated.”
Koshowski says it’s simple to become a monthly donor of BB4CK.
“If you go to our website, BB4CK.org/hunger-heroes, you can become a monthly donor. [It’s] $40 a month, it feeds a child for a month and sign up on a regular monthly basis and you can make an impact for those kids’ lives.”
She adds that the need for service continues to be great in Calgary and it isn’t limited to certain neighbourhoods.
“We’re in 220 schools all across our city. Even in areas of our city where we’d think that there’s not a need; Rideau Park, Arbour Lake, different neighbourhoods in our city that we think there wouldn’t be a need but families are struggling to make ends meet.”
The organization has been working in the city for the past 17 years and it is always looking for people to help out in the community kitchens. Details on how to volunteer can also be found on their website.
