MOOSE JAW — Hunger in Moose Jaw’s “I Bought a Lunch” campaign has exceeded its fundraising goal, raising nearly $80,000 to support its school nutrition program and continue providing daily meals to hundreds of schoolchildren.
“It went really well. We surpassed our goal. So we’re really happy to say that we made our $75,000 (goal) that we were looking for,” said Sharla Sept, the non-profit’s executive director. “And there’s some donations that are probably coming through because of the (Canada Post) mail strike, so we’ll just wait on those.”
For 13 years, the campaign's goal was $50,000. Rising costs forced the charity to increase that in 2022 because of significant economic pressures on lower-income families.
Two years ago, the agency was serving under 300 kids, but it’s now supporting over 400 — a number that arose in October instead of around June as is typical. Therefore, its services continue to be needed.
“But then we also serve children and families in other ways through our other cooking programs and our community gardens and also our Good Food Box program, as well as our pre-school,” Sept said, noting that Hunger in Moose Jaw attempts to provide an all-around food support program to help residents as best it can with their nutrition needs.
The organization's most prominent focus is its school lunch program, providing daily meals to numerous Moose Jaw schools so children can learn on a full stomach. Dedicated staff and volunteers make the lunches fresh, with each meal featuring a sandwich, fruit, vegetable, snack, and dairy product.
The executive director thanked the community for its support of this year’s “I Bought A Lunch Campaign,” noting that donations from businesses and individuals were much appreciated.
Hunger in Moose Jaw accepts donations year-round through its website at hungerinmoosejaw.org or its office at 269 Stadacona Street West.
Community Kitchen
Hunger in Moose Jaw holds several online Zoom cooking classes a month through its Community Kitchen program, with its next one happening on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 5 p.m. Chef Heather Kaylor will help participants cook a festive chicken dinner in under an hour.
The food security organization will deliver the ingredients to the homes of participating families, who then receive step-by-step cooking instructions from Kaylor. They will also learn new recipes and acquire helpful cooking tips.
“I believe the last (online Community Kitchen class) had nine families via Zoom, so it’s a really great program to get involved with … ,” said Sept, who praised Kaylor’s efforts for developing easy meals that families can create quickly for supper.
“We think it’s a great program to offer to the community … . Heather does a really wonderful job of keeping those meals well-balanced and nutritional.”
To register, email [email protected] by Thursday, Dec. 12.
