Free Lunch Program Supports Hungry Students During Summer Months
The Salvation Army in Regina has launched its annual free lunch program for students to combat food insecurity by providing an extra meal daily during the summer.
“It’s a program that fills the gaps for children receiving food through our school lunch program. They now have something throughout the year and not just during school,” Lieutenant Tim Fraser explains.
The program is called “Food on the Move” and it has been in place for over 10 years. It runs Monday to Friday between July and August. The Salvation Army visits six locations throughout the city, serving 150 meals daily. Any remaining meals are taken to nearby parks and given to other people in need. However, there has been increased demand for this program recently.
“We have a lot of families who are struggling right now to make ends meet. Our biggest challenge is the rising cost of inflation and food costs,” Lieutenant Tim shares.
Due to this challenge, it has become hard for the program to meet the goal of meals served. Lieutenant Tim encourages the community to support this initiative to help ensure all children in need can receive their lunch.
“We have a lot of families who are struggling right now to make ends meet.”
“We’re looking for financial donations to help increase our numbers, so we can support more children in our community.”
Additionally, help can also come in the way of donating some time to the cause as all the meals are prepared by The Salvation Army.
“We’re looking for volunteers to help prepare the meals, sandwiches and bag lunches. We are also looking for volunteers willing to go out and help distribute the meals to those who are in need,” Lieutenant Tim adds.
The lunches provided to the children are nutritious and well-balanced. Meal options consist of either a meat or cheese sandwich, accompanied by a variety of vegetables, fruits, and a selection of juice or water.
“The children come running to us because they know that they are going to get lunch.”
“Parents are incredibly grateful that we can provide for their children because they themselves are struggling right now. So being able to provide for not just the kids but also help the families enables them to put their money into resources towards dinner and other bills they need to cover,” Lieutenant Tim says.
According to Lieutenant Tim, one of the highlights of being part of this initiative is seeing children’s faces light up when they see The Salvation Army approaching.
“The children come running to us because they know that they are going to get lunch. It’s something that they look forward to.”
By Juan Romero
