World Job and Food Bank -- Brown Bagging It

Brown Bagging It for Calgary's Street Kids

This program was developed by WJFB in 1990. It has grown for the past 10 years and has embarked on its own as Brown Bagging for Calgary Street Kids Society since January 2001.

The Society is cooperating with efforts of two agencies that work with the street kids on a daily basis. These agencies provide counseling and other rehabilitation services: The Exit Community Outreach and the Calgary Urban Project Society. Because the kids are without any food on the streets, the work of counseling and rehabilitation is quite difficult. That is why we provide lunch meals to these kids through these agencies. This effort draws the street kids to these agencies and thus greatly enhances the rehabilitation efforts.

Volunteers prepare sandwiches

Because there are other agencies distributing hot meals to street adults, we felt it was necessary to target the group of "youngsters" on our streets. This group rarely frequents the other food services, therefore it was imperative that a program be put in place to attend specifically to their needs. The Brown Bagging Program was the first to meet this need and continues to do so to this day.

Volunteers pack up sandwiches for distribution

Since its inception in 1990, the Brown Bagging Program has distributed over 1,027,000 lunch meals to hungry young people on Calgary's Streets. A roster of over 200 volunteers have worked (at different times) on this program and have contributed greatly to its current success. Each lunch consists of a hearty sandwich, fruit, carrots or celery sticks, fruit juice, a muffin or other treat.

The two distributing agencies mentioned above, have reported high levels of success in their respective programs. Together with the Brown Bagging for Calgary Street Kids Society, the goals of providing nutrition, social rehabilitation, and employment opportunities are being accomplished. The kids themselves have expressed their appreciation, and many kids are actively involved in volunteer work. This program helps reduce crime and violence on the streets of Calgary. If not for this program the street kids would resort to methods of violence and other forms of crime.

For more information visit www.brownbaggingit.org
Brown Bag Project Coordinators: Edward and Mary Wiebe.

We wish these kids to return to the full joys of life!