Foothills area women have provided some food for thought for students.
100 Women Who Care Foothills presented a cheque for $10,325 to Suvi-Tuulia Lorenz of High River Food for Thought on March 10 in High River.
“We provide lunches to children who come to school without,” said Lorenz. “The lunches include a sandwich, a juice box, a snack and a fruit or vegetable piece. The lunches get delivered straight to the school… Today we are making ham and cheese croissants, tomorrow they will receive some buns with cold cuts.
“And the kids will be treated with strawberries this week.”
Food for Thought, which began in 2011, delivers approximately 150 lunches to students every school day in Black Diamond/Turner Valley, Blackie, Cayley, Eden Valley and High River.
As well, Food for Thought, which is volunteer-run, is delivering to students learning at home due to the pandemic.
Students receiving the lunches are referred by administrators at the respective schools. Food for Thought also addresses any allergy or dietary concerns the students may have.
Lorenz said the majority of the funds will go toward food, for which the group receives generous help from Foothills area grocers. Some of the funds will go toward operational costs.
Food for Thought started in 2011 when Lorenz was volunteering at a school and saw the need. It started with four lunches and expanded to 44 by the end of that year.
C.I. McLaren School in Black Diamond has been part of Food for Thought for two years - and the program was instrumental in helping the K to Grade 6 school when it was closed to in-class learning, said principal Stacey Swanson.
"They were amazing during the shutdown last March," Swanson said. "Because of the generosity of Food for Thought, we were able to continue to support a number of families during the COVID shutdown by delivering groceries to homes.
"Food for Thought even provides support during holidays and weekends, if needed. It is a very successful program, and a valued partnership here at C. Ian McLaren School."
Some food can help stimulate minds as well.
"Students get hungry during the day and they need extra food at times for their growing bodies," Swanson said. "We know that when students have proper nutrition they are able to learn better."
100 Women Who Care Foothills is a group which meets approximately four times a year (online during COVID) to listen to requests for donations from nominated charity groups. The women vote for the charity and the selected charity receives $100 from each member of the Foothills group.
The $10,325 was the most donated in the group’s history, said chair Julie Boake.
Several of the 86 members in 100 Women gave more than the suggested $100.
“A lot of our members, they are excited to help out the community and feel very strongly about the organizations they are donating to,” Boake said.
She added she was close to tears when hearing Food For Thoughts’ presentation.
“When Food for Thought was actually delivering to homes, they weren’t just delivering to the one child that was on the program but they would give a meal to a younger sibling who wasn’t in school,” Boake said. “The kids sometimes would save half a sandwich for their parents.
“High River Food for Thought went over and above what their program was originally designed for in feeding the other siblings.
“Suvi almost made all of us cry just hearing the stories of some of these families. A huge impact they are having right now.”
100 Women Who Care Foothills has contributed $107,825 to various charities since it started in 2015.
As for 100, it’s just a number.
“We won’t stop once we get to 100,” Boake said with a laugh. “That will mean we can just do more – 125 Women Who Care.”
The organization has its male counterpart in the Foothills – 100 Men Who Give A Damn.
Anyone wishing to learn more about either the 100 women and/or men can click here.
