Bagged Lunch Program Brings the Community Together

The Salvation Army in Prince Albert serves over 2,000 meals per month. Around 100 bagged lunches are prepared and served to take away four days a week. Long-time volunteers Grant MacTavish and Gary Whitley share what it’s like to prepare and serve the meal.

Grant started volunteering with The Salvation Army in Prince Albert as a kettle volunteer, working in the toy store at Christmas and assembling Christmas hampers. He encouraged his friend Gary to get involved as well. When The Salvation Army in Prince Albert received a grant to begin a bagged lunch program, Grant decided to help and knew that Gary, a professional cook by trade, would be a great addition to the kitchen.

Major Ed Dean and Gary source the groceries from a combination of donations, day-old deals and purchases. The volunteers are divided into a cooking team and a serving team. The cooking team starts a little before 8 am.

“We cook the meal from scratch, onions from out of the bag and carrots out of the bag. It’s all chopped up, be it stew, be it chilli. Then we serve it with a toasted bun to provide a fairly hearty meal and try putting a piece of fruit in, or a little treat, like sweets,” explains Grant.

Gary says there’s no set menu on any given day. He says the secret to cooking for up to 200 people is to learn to work with what you have.

“I’ve worked in a lot of different commercial kitchens, so I just learned to work with what’s available. I’ve adapted in many, many kitchens,” Gary says. “This one has a convection oven. It has a griddle. It’s got two oven chests and a gas cooktop. So you figure out what works for you.”

“It’s a very compact commercial kitchen. It’s absolutely amazing that we can put that many meals through in a short amount of time,” Grant adds. “But you have to get along really good because there’s no elbow room, especially when the pressure’s on,” he jokes.

By 11 am, the serving team is ready to hand out the lunches. Grant explains that another volunteer named Doug usually works the door. He knows most of the recipients by name and asks about their families.

“Doug knows half of them by name, and that just means a lot to those people. He makes them feel good, and he’s just so natural about it and does it in such a way that they don’t necessarily feel obliged as much,” says Grant.

This connection is welcomed and fosters a sense of community. It also allows The Salvation Army in Prince Albert to start conversations if a lunch recipient needs additional resources. Grant shared that one week during the winter, a man showed up to receive a lunch without shoes at -25. Major Ed immediately saw to the man’s needs and got him some footwear in addition to a hot meal.

Both Gary and Grant know that their contributions are valued. Grant has used his business acumen to help refine processes, and Gary’s kitchen expertise allows things to run smoothly.

“I always saw The Salvation Army as a good organization that did good charitable work for needy people. And so that was one of my focuses for my volunteerism,” says Grant. “You really feel like what you’re doing is appreciated and part of a community.”

Gary says he volunteers to give back to the city that’s been so good to him.

“I’ve worked a little bit in commercial kitchens, and it’s often a pretty tense environment. But you know, the rapport and the joking around, it’s actually a fun day. I came home on Wednesday after lunches, and it was a good time. It was just like having fun with a bunch of friends. It’s a great investment of my time, for sure. I feel good about it,” says Grant.

This program is made possible in part through the generous support of the Prince Albert and Area Community Foundation.In 2021 The Salvation Army in Prince Albert served 12,480 meals. In 2022 that number increased to 20,196. If you are interested in supporting this program or learning more about any Salvation Army services, contact your local Salvation Army Corps or call the Prairie Division office at 204-975-1033.