Photo courtesy of Scott Roblin

By Scott Roblin

Brown Bag Lunch

Food Bank extending Brown Bag Lunch program into the summer

Jun 30, 2020 | 5:55 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The Medicine Hat & District Food Bank is looking to get more brown lunch packages into the hands of local kids this summer, extending one of their most utilized programs this week.

The local food bank’s ‘Brown Bag Lunch’ program has been extended into the summer for the first time with the goal of easing the financial burden that many families are facing during the pandemic.

“We know families are suffering more this year than they ever have and we know that kids still need food over the summer,” said executive director Celina Symmonds. “So, we’ve always envisioned having some kind of program over the summer and this just seemed like the right time to bring it forward.”

The Medicine Hat & District Food Bank has partnered with the Medicine Hat Public School Division, Medicine Hat Catholic School Board, Prairie Rose School Division, and provincial government to roll out the program over the summer months.

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Between 500 and 700 lunches were served at 32 local schools before the pandemic hit, however that demand has only grown according to Symmonds.

“The need has absolutely gone up as far as we can see,” said Symmonds. “Each child gets a box in the home, so sometimes there’s five or six boxes going out to each family. The need is great, but the families are so grateful. It is very humbling to stand out there and hear families say, “We just didn’t know what we would do, how we would feed our kids these extra meals.”

Each lunch package will include printed receipts and a link that will re-direct to a YouTube page that will include videos on how to prepare meals out of some of the items.

A move to this model is something the Medicine Hat & District Food Bank has been considering for some time and want to get parents involved as soon as possible.

“We want to make sure it gets right into their hands,” said Symmonds. “They can apply online, we’ll either deliver it or they can pick it up. So, it’s making it easy for parents to access, we want parents to reach out and be a part of this program.”

Those who already access the food bank regularly will receive the brown bag packages in their usual hampers.

Families interested in signing up for the program are encouraged to visit the Medicine Hat & District Food Bank’s website.