Greetings Woody Nook from your friends at the Blackfalds Food Bank. Thank you so much for your continued support and commitment to the Food Bank, we are so grateful for all the food Woody Nook donated to the Food Bank during Thanksgiving! 

We at the Food Bank would now like to introduce you to the Lunchbox Program that we have developed in response to needs arising during the pandemic. The Blackfalds schools provided lunch and breakfast programs for those experiencing food insecurity concerns prior to COVID-19. When the schools closed in the spring due to COVID-19 we found there was a need to fill the gap with supporting low-income families by addressing food insecurity issues. The Lunchbox program was created out of this need. As people started to experience economic hardships more families needed support and began accessing the Lunchbox program. As we learn to deal with the long-term effects of life during a pandemic, we see that there is a continued need to support those experiencing food insecurity.  Each week families receive a box filled with Cobs bread, fresh fruit and vegetables, healthy snacks, and breakfast and lunch supplies plus a grocery gift card. This box of food supplies provides enough food for the week, so children have enough food to take to school as well as ensuring each child has something to eat at breakfast. The grocery gift card allows parents to purchase additional food items for supper.

In April we started the Lunchbox program that provided healthy lunches, breakfasts and snacks to children. In September we extended the Lunchbox program due to the ongoing need. Since April we have provided 2,479 children nutritious lunches, breakfasts and snacks. We are hoping to extend the program until the end of December and would be willing to continue the program further if the need continues. We are hoping to raise $20,000 to cover the costs of the Lunchbox Program until the end of December, as it currently costs $1300 a week to run the program. Last week we had 103 children access the program and this week we had four new families needing access to the program, so our numbers continue to grow.

Please prayerfully consider how you might be able to help support the Lunchbox Program. If you would like to donate financially to the Lunchbox Program we have partnered with ATB Financial to offer donors a simple way to support the Blackfalds Food Bank Society and ATB also matches 15% of every dollar donated. Please write “Lunchbox Program” in the comments section when donating online. The link to donate is as follows:

https://atbcares.benevity.org/community/cause/124-763781895RR0001

May God richly bless each one of you!