The old saying, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” is known all to well by the staff and volunteers at Hunger in Moose Jaw.
Hunger in Moose Jaw volunteers make 300 lunches per day which are distributed to feed children in elementary schools daily.
On Saturday, the non-profit organization kicked off its annual I Bought Lunch campaign, to raise proceeds for food and supplies to keep bringing healthy meals to deserving youth.
The campaign will run to Dec. 22, and the public will be able to make donations at The Town ‘n’ Country Mall, Super Store and at the Times-Herald. A $1 donation will help provide a child a lunch consisting of a sandwich, a piece of fruit and a vegetable. To participate in the campaign, people can also purchase a paper lunch bag at Hunger in Moose Jaw.
“A young woman last year said, ‘I need to give back, I was one of those children,” volunteer Joan Maier said towards a person who donated and was affected by the organization. “All of the proceeds will be going straight to food and equipment for the program.”
Maier was quick to add the community plays a large role in the work accomplished by Hunger in Moose Jaw. “Moose Jaw is an amazing, helpful community that makes this program the success it is.”
Volunteer Ken Blair said company donations also play a large role in maintaining key funding. “We’ve already received $5,000 in company donations... I work for Yara, and I know they’re going to match dollar for dollar.”
Blair added the proceeds are always needed when you have to keep up with the high volume demand Hunger in Moose Jaw is constantly under to feed healthy food to growing children.
“We believe that it’s really important that children have high standards of nutrition in order to learn,” said Hunger in Moose Jaw executive director Carol Acton. “We don’t want any child’s education to be affected by a lack of food or a lack of good nutrition and so we believe that it’s really important that kids who may not have access to highly nutritious food — we provide that.”
“You can buy as many lunches as you feel like … They’re a little paper lunch that you buy, right, and then you put your name on it and it’s hung in either the business that you buy it from or if you come here to buy it we hang it on our wall at Hunger in Moose Jaw,” said Acton.
To find out where and which dates Hunger in Moose Jaw will be holding the I Bought Lunch Campaign, call: 692-1916.
