All around Fort Erie, there is a morning ritual: parents packing lunches for their children before sending them off to school.
But not every child is that fortunate. Some parents struggle to put food on the table, let alone pack their children a nutritious lunch for school. That’s where groups like Community Crew step in.
“We give the school year a couple of weeks to get started, and we work with the teachers and principals to make sure that all the families who need help are plugged into the program,” said Katy Herron, Community Crew’s fundraising manager. “There’s always new families that come in, and they observe and they look at who has lunch and who doesn’t.”
Community Crew also reaches out to schools to identify which students need to be part of the program, which serves children from kindergarten to Grade 8.
The organization began in 2013 as a life group organized by volunteers of the former Central Community Church in St. Catharines. It received non-profit status and federal charity registration two years later, starting by providing bagged lunches to 42 students at Edith Cavell Public School in St. Catharines.
“They just started serving muffins to kids,” Herron said. “And then it turned into lunches once a week.”
The program as it is known today began in 2017, expanding to more schools across the region, including Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, Welland, and Thorold. Fort Erie schools participating in the program include Peace Bridge Public School, Our Lady of Victory Catholic Elementary School, and John Brant Public School in Ridgeway. Soon, St. George Catholic Elementary School in Crystal Beach will be added. Lunches are provided three days a week.
With the number of schools increasing, so does the number of lunches Community Crew provides, said executive director Sarah Pritula.
“In Fort Erie, we serve 426 lunches a week, that’s over three days,” she said. “That’s on average.”
“These schools are in the highest poverty rating in the Niagara Region,” Herron added.
Community Crew relies on federal poverty statistics to determine the need in each area and the number of students requiring support.
“Typically, when the kids sign up for the program, they stay for the entire year unless mom or dad’s situation changes or they move,” Pritula said.
There can sometimes be hesitation from families, she added.
“We’ve had families who may be reluctant to get help,” Pritula said. “We tell them that this is confidential. We’re not a government program and we’re self-funded. There can be some hesitation, even though they know they need it.”
Lunches follow the Canada Food Guide: a protein and a carbohydrate, a fruit, a vegetable, and a peanut-free snack.
“We also serve halal lunches and gluten-free and dairy-free options. We really accommodate what that child can eat,” Herron said. “If they have special dietary needs, that’s a pretty big deal. Every single school we’re in has some special lunches that are marked.”
Community Crew gets packing and delivery help from a team of volunteers at packing locations in Fort Erie (St. Michael’s Catholic Church Hall) and St. Catharines (240 Scott St.).
More information on Community Crew, including how to donate or volunteer, can be found at communitycrew.ca.
Volunteers Tess Mejia and Bunny Bremner pack lunches at St. Michael’s Catholic Church Hall. A federally registered charity, Community Crew provides more than 400 lunches to students at four Fort Erie schools.
Story by Richard Hutton – Niagara This Week