For more than 15 years, Gibsons Elementary School has been offering a free sandwich program for children who do not have enough food for lunch.
The program has in the past provided sandwiches for children three days a week.
In recent years, the number of children requiring sandwiches has increased. The need for an expanded service was addressed and quickly organized to offer sandwiches every lunch time five days a week. The program has also expanded to provide cut-up fruit and vegetables, in addition to sandwiches. This allows many children the opportunity to have a nutritious lunch that they may not be provided with from home.
Recently there has been a substantial increase to food costs, and it is hitting families hard. The Gibsons Rotary Club has steadfastly supported the program over the years and, more recently, Tim Thompson, owner of SuperValu in Gibsons, has come forward to lend financial support to this program. Having a local grocery store joining forces to assist in purchasing food is invaluable.
This program owes its success and longevity entirely to the community partners who have come together to support it. It has long been recognized that children need adequate nutrition to learn, which explains the existence of food programs in schools.
Other members of the community who have been an integral part of the delivery of the program are the group of volunteers who prepare the food. The shopping for the food and preparation is done by a dedicated group of volunteers from four different churches, St. Mary's Catholic Church, St. Bartholomew's Anglican Church, Cavalry Baptist Church and Christ the King Community Church.
It takes a community to raise children, and there is evidence that we live in a caring community that works together to support our children.
- Submitted
