I work out three to five times a week, not because I love it or even like it. I do it because my weakness is restaurant and take out food. I think most of us enjoy a supper out. However, for many of the children who attend here any type of supper meal would be welcomed.
Last year, late in October when the weather had turned cold, my staff noticed some children were not going home during our supper hour. We close from 5 to 6 p.m. so staff can grab something to eat. The children are supposed to go home, check in with parents, eat supper and at 6 p.m. we are open again for them.
My staff noticed the same children day after day were not going home. Upon talking to the kids we discovered a number of similar reasons for them to be hanging around when we were closed.
"Mom said not to come home til nine," "There is nobody home anyway" and "there is no food at home and it's too cold to walk."
So, we identified a true need in the community. I spoke to a friend who knows some restaurant owners and he went around on behalf of the Boys and Girls Club asking for support. We started a supper program, Tuesdays and Thursdays, feeding 20 children.
Four restaurants came on board with this program - Venice House, Riganato's, Porta Bella's and Co-op deli bar - which made up an appetizing menu.
We had one child who signed up right away for the supper program. Every day he would ask if supper was coming today, where it was coming from and always seemed thoroughly excited to know the answers. Yet every day, no matter what the meal was he, would only eat a spoonful or two and then ask if he could save it for later. We would ask him "are you not hungry?" and he would reply "not really." Still at snack time he would be the first to line up.
This went on for a few weeks; he would eat a little, just enough to be sure nobody else would eat it, but leave the food there until later. Almost every night this nine-year-old boy would head home with a small container of food. It was becoming a little bit of a mystery why this boy didn't like anything enough to finish his food when we knew for certain he was hungry.
One day while helping with some chores in the kitchen my staff member delicately asked what his favourite food was. He replied "lasagna." My staff member then asked "well why don't you eat it all when we have it here?" That's when the nine-year-old boy explained he has a brother at home who is four years old and another who is 15, so they cannot come to the Boys and Girls Club. If he doesn't bring home his supper to share they will have nothing to eat.
My staff and I, as a group, knew the need for food was high, but until that moment we never realized how much of a burden day-to-day living can be for a nine-year-old boy. This little package of food he was able to bring home twice a week was more food than his family usually had.
The success of our supper program is bittersweet; it's great to know we are making a huge difference but saddening to know how much it is needed.
Our mission statement talks about working with families and the community for the development of our children, for this particular family our little club is a really good place to be.
