St. Michael’s Health Centre helps feed local students
St. Michael’s Health Centre in Lethbridge has teamed up with three local elementary schools to provide daily lunches for students. The Covenant Health site recently launched its healthy Lunch Program in January 2012, starting with just one school.
The healthy Lunch Program was borne out of a desire to engage with the local Lethbridge community and make an impact. Staff and residents have engaged in the program as a generous way to give back to the community that offers Covenant Health’s Lethbridge sites so much support.
Many elementary school children go to school without proper nutrition to sustain them throughout the day.
A staff member recognized this need in the community and brought it forward. The suggestion to provide lunches to undernourished children has quickly caught fire across Covenant Health’s sites in Lethbridge and three elementary schools have been adopted. Martha’s House hosts the school Lunch Program at Galbraith School.
“Every morning at St. Michael’s Health Centre, staff and residents work side by side to prepare lunches for children who have not had the experience of tasting roast beef! Many participating residents are very dedicated to this project and find that it gives them meaning and purpose. The principal of one school reported that attendance has gone up over the past few months, and fights on the school grounds have been reduced substantially because of the benefits of the healthy lunches”. ~ Brandie Lea, Foundation Coordinator and Research Liaise
“I have the privilege of delivering those sandwiches. The reception at the schools has been quite positive. I have had feedback about how excited the children are to receive the lunches. One morning, a receptionist at one of the schools told me how a young child opened her lunch bag and joyously exclaimed, "We even get chocolate milk!". What a joy it is for our residents and staff here at St. Michael's to have this opportunity to help and bless the children in this way”. ~ Will Rochow, Supervisor, Environmental Services and Transportation
Watch Global Lethbridge’s coverage of the story to learn how the Lunch Program has grown to help local schools and students!