The Salvation Army in Lindsay providing Summer Lunch Program
The Salvation Army in Lindsay is again offering a summer lunch program at two local schools and at the public library in Sebright. The lunch program is meant to fill a gap for families that rely on school snack programs throughout the year.
The lunch program, which began in 2018, is in partnership with the Kawartha Lakes Food Source, the Kawartha Lakes Food Coalition and the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit.
Janet Rodin, Community Ministries Coordinator at The Salvation Army in Lindsay says The Salvation Army and Kawartha Lakes food source provide the food and the health unit provides the recipes and the safe food handler training.
The lunch program will start on July 3rd and run through August 18th two days a week at King Albert Public School, Queen Victoria Public School and the Kawartha Lakes Public Library in Sebright.
“The program started after students expressed their anxiety to their teachers about how they were going to eat over the summer. The teachers then reached out to local food programs, including The Salvation Army, to see what could be done,” said Janet.
The Salvation Army fundraises throughout the year to raise funds for the food as well as transportation. There is also support from local businesses and organizations.
The lunch includes a wrap or a sandwich, yogurt or cheese strings, carrots or cucumber, an apple or an orange and either healthy cookies or brownies.
Janet says the need for the summer lunch program is increasing.
The Salvation Army in Lindsay handed 431 lunches last year over the summer but were only able to provide lunches for 8 weeks rather than the usual 9. In 2021, 453 lunches were provided to students and in 2020, 328 lunches.
“About 20 lunches a day are handed out in early July and that number goes up to 40 by mid-July,” she said. “There are always students waiting for the lunch to arrive. It definitely meets a need in this area because we don’t have a regular daily soup kitchen.”
To donate or for more information on The Salvation Army lunch program in Lindsay please call (705) 324-7771. To donate to The Salvation Army’s other programs and services call 1-800 SAL-ARMY or online at www.salvationarmy.ca
