Calgary Meals on Wheel

November 20, 2022 Murlyne Fong

Since 1965 Calgary Meals on Wheels has served many Calgarians with nutritious,

affordable meals. In 2021 alone this meant that almost one million meals were

provided to vulnerable members of our community. But did you know that today

Calgary Meals on Wheels serves beyond our adult population, even to children in

schools?

Beginning in 2000, in partnership with the Calgary Board of Education and the

Catholic School District, Calgary Meals on Wheels has been working to change the

reality that some children are attending school with no lunch. Twice a week,

Calgary Meals on Wheels delivers a nutritious hot soup lunch to 13 elementary

schools that have been identified by their Boards as having vulnerable students.

Many of the children in these schools have been identified as having difficult

personal situations, poor nourishment and various family stresses.

There is no cost to the students, their families or the school for the Meals on

Wheels Hot Soup Program. The soup is prepared in large batches by Calgary

Meals on Wheels staff and is delivered by van in carafes to the schools involved,

every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the school year. School staff ladle the

soup into bowls for any students who wish to enjoy hot soup and a bun or

crackers for lunch that day. The Hot Soup Program affords the children at least

one healthy meal that day giving the child the energy required to participate,

concentrate and learn in school. Affirms one school staff member, “The teaching

staff witness regularly how this program benefits our student body. Hungry

students are not able to perform to their best ability, so with added nutritional

support programs, our educators are able to see academic results in a positive

sense.”

Having focused on responding to children’s basic needs throughout 2022, CHAS is

proud to have donated $5,000 to the Calgary Meals on Wheels Hot Soup Program.

In fact, CHAS has donated a total of $16,500 to this program since 2016.

To learn more about the work of Calgary Meals on Wheels, we invite you to check out