The Sheep River Health Trust's (SRHT) School Meal Program got a major boost on Monday (Sept. 16).
They were presented with a cheque for $7,700 from 100 Women Who Care Foothills.
The program provides breakfasts and lunches to 12 schools across the Foothills.
"I think we all believe we live in a really prosperous community, which we do, but those gaps are becoming larger, so we're finding a lot of kids not coming to school with breakfast or lunch, so we allow the schools to implement the program how they want to do it because not all schools are the same," says Andrea Mitchell, Executive Director of the SRHT. "Some do feed breakfast every day, some have a cupboard where teachers can access food for kids. What happens is, the schools put in their requests, we have a nutritionist go through the programs and make any suggestions, and then we send out the funds."
She says this donation will go a long way for students in need.
"We have had more requests this year from other schools. We currently budget about $24,000 a year for schools, but every year we get more schools in."
Last year, the program provided over 24,000 meals.
This is the third donation of the year for 100 Women Who Care Foothills. The group meets four times a year to nominate a local organization to donate to, with a vote then deciding who will receive the donation for that quarter.
Each member then contributes $100, which really adds up as more members join.
Kayla Christensen has been co-chairing the group since early 2024 and continues to be amazed at the power of community.
"It wouldn't be possible without the members donating to this great cause. And really, we're just facilitating where the funds are going. We're also getting to know about these organizations. It's been really, really cool."
Anyone interested in joining the group can find more information on the 100 Women Who Care Foothills website.