School Food Program helping Regina-area families as school year starts

The Regina Food Bank will be following kids back to school this fall with its new School Food Program.

Regina Public Schools and the Regina Catholic School Division have partnered together to improve food security for kids at school.

John Bailey, the CEO of the Regina Food Bank, discussed the program on the Greg Morgan Morning Show on Tuesday.

“What we are trying to do is fill the gaps in pre-existing food programs,” Bailey said.

The program has already operated in schools for the past two years on a pilot project, working out the details of the program.

Bailey said the program has a variety of options for kids and their families, such as take-home grocery hampers, snacks for the weekend, or a hot lunch.

In-school grocery stores will be offered every couple of weeks for parents and kids to pick out food to go in their hampers.

“The big thing for us is helping the kids want to be in school, because we are excited to be there. But we are also there to reduce stigma surrounding the food bank,” said Bailey.

Bailey said 40 per cent of people who use the food bank’s services are kids, and taking the food bank into schools can give families easier access to supplies.

“One way we are there to ensure success in anything at school is that if we can create an incentive for anything, then we can let teachers do their magic,” Bailey said.

The program is geared to help more than 2,000 students.