The Curious Kid

In the first week of August, a Tummy Tamers session was just wrapping up as volunteers saw a young boy riding his bike in circles around the park - the same as he had done the day before.  After noticing he was watching Community Kitchen's volunteers give out meals, staff called him over to ask if he would like a lunch.  His reply was astounding.  He said with a smile "Really?  I can have some? This is the first lunch I have had all summer."

As staff handed him a lunch, he left beaming with joy.  The young boy had not eaten a lunch in over 10 weeks.  This scenario is not uncommon in the Calgary community.  Marilyn Gunn, Director of Community Kitchen Programs explains

"Many children will not tell you that they are hungry, and many times they will wait for you to offer something in hopes that someone may help them.  We now make a concious effort to check for any children in the surrounding areas of our lunch sites.  You never know, it may be a child's first lunch all summer."

Hunger has many faces, some hidden like Alex or the young boy on the bike.  Both stories demonstrate how essential Community Kitchen Program and Tummy Tamers are having in the lives of children and families in Calgary.  Tummy Tamers is one of the few initiatives in Calgary that provides a healthy eating program specifically designed for children over th months of July and August.  Children from ages 5 to 12 in low income communities frequently depend on school-based feeding programs.  Tummy Tamers provides them the opportunity to have a hot, healthy lunch throughout the summer.  To date, the number of childre fed by Tummy Tamers has increased by 23%.