YK Cares, a program in Yellowknife, provides meals for hungry kids during the school year who can’t access school meals on weekends when schools are closed. Through this initiative, children are receiving nutritious food packages to help them thrive, even when school resources are unavailable. By filling this weekend gap in food security, YK Cares is playing an important role in supporting the health and well-being of the community’s most vulnerable children.

With schools closed on weekends and unable to provide in-school food programs, YK Cares decided to help local kids and its community by offering a weekend food program for those who rely on school meals to stay fed. The organization focuses on supporting students from kindergarten to Grade 12 at Weledeh, St. Pat’s, Mildred Hall, and St. Joseph schools, as well as those from the NWT Disabilities Council, ensuring that no child goes without weekend meals.

This initiative operates throughout the school year, and typically, the program packs meals for 165 to 200 children every two weeks, a number that has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic. Just recently, YK Cares and its volunteers hosted a food drive at the Yellowknife Co-op, selling pre-packaged food kits for $13.99; all proceeds would go to the program’s initiative. The food is purchased in advance and sent to the schools, with the Co-op playing a crucial role by allowing the program to operate in their store and providing significant financial support to its mission.

Pre-packaged kits are designed to last until the end of December, making it easy for community members to contribute financially. These kits include non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items such as Kraft Dinner cups, applesauce, fruit cups, oatmeal packets, cheese and crackers, and tuna, all selected to meet the children’s nutritional needs and keep them happy and full.

By the end of its recent drive last month, 458 kits were sold at the Co-op. The store contributed $10,000 to the effort, and Khione Resources matched this donation, while Yellowknife Beverages provided $500 and assisted with food delivery to the schools, as well as refreshments for the volunteers. Donations totalled $20,500, which will help immensely with their cause.

For anyone who missed last month’s drive, donations can always be made directly at the Co-op till, with all contributions going toward purchasing food for the kids and further supporting their mission of helping hungry kids in need of food. You can check out YK Cares facebook page for more information on this amazing initiative.

At Polite Canada, programs and initiatives like these are ones that we like to support and highlight. People coming together to help parts of their community in need is something that we all need to strive to do here in our communities.

Source: NNSL