Regina Food Bank has partnered with eight schools around the city to help increase food security among kids. Around 43 per cent of food bank users are children and one in eight kids in Saskatchewan face food insecurity.
The new program will have school lunches, weekend snacks and a summer food hamper program. Regina Food Bank CEO John Bailey said the program does more for students than just filling their bellies.
“(W)e’re really excited for…making sure we are connecting schools and strengthening that connection,” Bailey said.
The program will work along with public and catholic school boards to first identify the eight schools that are in need and then meet with them to understand their specific needs.
“We’re planning for what will most likely be a year of lower donations and increased need. And we’re working to make sure we’re meeting that need in our community,” Bailey said.
As of now over 900 students are being served but he said they want to continue to expand the program to be at 2,000 by the beginning of the 2022-23 school year.
He added that children experiencing hunger has been a long standing issue in Regina.
“Food in a incredibly powerful enabler of of learning and achievement. And quite frankly, that can act as an incentive to make sure folks are in class,” he said.
Bailey also said that it is sort of a cycle when someone who faces food insecurity as a child will probably face it as an adult. “It becomes a cycle that we need to start working to break.”
He added that the program will cost about $300,000 per year to run.
Bailey said that if people want to provide support they can go to Reginafoodbank.ca and donate and those funds go directly to making sure kids get fed.