‘Are they being fed?’ Thousands of students lose school meals during Alberta teachers strike

Several non-profit groups say some Alberta children are going hungry with thousands losing access to school food programs during a provincewide teachers strike.

The strike entered its eighth day on Thursday.

“One family in particular that I know, the mom hadn’t been able to eat for a couple days … her food was going to her kids during the strike,” said Jared Jorstad, a spokesman for Hope Mission.

The woman reached out to the charity for help a couple of days ago.

He said he worries for children who haven’t received help since 51,000 teachers walked off the job Oct. 6.

About 740,000 students are out of classes, and about 2,500 schools have closed and with them the cafeterias that serve free breakfasts and lunches.

“The cost of living is so high that when you have these families who are on these fixed incomes, school food programs are pretty vital,” Jorstad said.

Hope Mission, which also operates homeless shelters, has partnered during the strike with five Catholic schools in the Edmonton area, where school support staff continue to hand out paper bag lunches to those who stop by.

Jorstad said about 200 to 250 students have been getting those food bags each day since the strike began.

The strike by members of the Alberta Teachers’ Association is the largest walkout in provincial history.

The main sticking points in the contract dispute have been wages, overcrowded classrooms and support for students with complex needs.

Teachers overwhelmingly rejected a government offer last month that included a 12 per cent pay raise over four years and a promise to hire 3,000 more teachers.

The Mustard Seed non-profit in Red Deer in central Alberta had been making between 600 and 800 lunches a day that were delivered to schools, said spokeswoman Laura Giesbrecht.

“With the school strike, we’re making around 15 lunches a day … so that leaves 700-plus without food each day.”

Giesbrecht said she’s heartbroken wondering where students might be getting their food from or whether they’re getting any at all.

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“It actually brought me to tears. How are they being fed? That’s their only food throughout an entire day.”

She said the Mustard Seed has been trying to get the word out to students and families that lunch is still being served. It has also partnered with a local YMCA to deliver meals for children participating in its programs.

Sandwiches, fruit and other food for students in schools is essential, she said.

“We all know what it feels like to be hangry,” Giesbrecht said.

“(Kids) need proper nutrition to be able to fuel their lives, to be able to play on the playground, to learn and to have positive interactions with friends. Nutrition is a building block of success for their education.”

Breakfast Club of Canada, which offers meal programs for nearly 40,000 students in about 300 Alberta schools, says it hopes the teachers and the government settle their differences soon.

“Unfortunately, all of the schools (we) support currently have their breakfast programs paused,” said programs lead Ryan Baker.

“Students used to come with their friends, sit down and eat without the stigma attached to eating school meals.”

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