Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids is a passionate community of families, volunteers, donors, and staff dedicated to ensuring no child in Calgary goes hungry. With a mission to provide consistent and reliable food support, BB4CK delivers over 7,500 school lunches daily to kids in need, thanks to the efforts of more than 600 volunteers across nearly 30 satellite kitchens throughout the city. In response to rising food costs and growing food insecurity—impacting 21% of Calgarians—BB4CK works directly with families to design programs that address these challenges. Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids is committed to creating a city where every child can thrive. We spoke with Bethany Ross, Executive Director, to learn more about the passion behind the charity.
Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.
For over 30 years, Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids (BB4CK) – a community-funded organization, has been dedicated to ensuring every child in our city has access to the food they need to thrive. Together with our BB4CK community— volunteers, parents, school staff, and donors—we connect kids to nutritious meals through school lunches and summer camps, and by supporting families with grocery cards.
Our School Lunch Program operates with no waitlist, ensuring every kid who needs a lunch gets one. Each lunch includes a sandwich, fresh veggies, fruit, a snack, and, a couple of times a week, yogurt or cheese strings.
We are committed to providing low-barrier, dignified access to food, ensuring every child feels cared for and supported by their community.
What problem does it aim to solve?
In 2023, nearly 1 in 3 children in Alberta lived in a household experiencing some level of food insecurity. This data places the province among those with the highest rates nationwide, with 30.3% of kids impacted. Currently, Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids provides lunches to over 7,500 children every school day across more than 270 schools in Calgary. That’s a lot of kids and families experiencing uncertainty about where their next meal will come from.
We believe kids who have consistent access to nutritious food grow stronger brains and stronger bodies. They’re able to make friends, attend school consistently and focus on learning instead of on a grumbling stomach. And together with the community, we work to connect kids with the nutritious food they need so they can learn, play and grow.
When did you start/join the charity?
Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids was started by a few community members who saw a need to connect kids to food. Instead of waiting for “someone else” to address this, they just took the initiative and got started. I joined the organization almost 10 years ago, and have felt incredibly grateful and honoured to continue the work that was started all those years ago.
What made you want to get involved?
I believe in the impact of neighbours and community members caring for each other and wanted to be part of something allowed for that. Additionally, I’ve spent my career doing work that prioritizes kids; data tells us that childhood is a critically formative time, and ensuring that it’s as healthy an experience as possible ensures kids can grow up to be the healthiest possible adults. That combination of factors continues to make it a pleasure to be part of this community each day.
What was the situation like when you started?
When I joined BB4CK nearly 10 years ago, 16.7% of children in Alberta were living in food-insecure households. At the time, BB4CK was providing lunches to 2,000 kids every school day.
Today, the situation has worsened. 30.3% of children in Alberta now live in food-insecure households, and BB4CK is responding to this growing need by providing lunches to over 7,500 kids every school day—a 275% increase since I started.
The need is greater than ever, and we remain committed to ensuring that every child has access to the nutritious lunches they need to learn, grow, and thrive.
How has it changed since?
Our community has come together in extraordinary ways to meet the increasing demand for lunches. Thanks to the dedication of volunteers, donors, and community groups, we’ve been able to expand our reach, now supporting over 7,500 kids every school day—more kids than ever before.
Every week, over 650 volunteers roll up their sleeves to make sandwiches, chop veggies, pack lunches, and deliver them to kids every school day. Those are individual and group volunteers who dedicate their time to ensure kids have the lunches they need.
We’ve also expanded our operations, and in addition to our central kitchen, we work together with 30 community groups across Calgary. To better meet the growing demand, we’ve also introduced afternoon and evening shifts on a couple of days each week. This growth not only highlights the rising need in our city but also the incredible generosity of our community.
What more needs to be done?
The need for food support keeps growing, especially as families face the rising cost of living. Ensuring every kid has access to nutritious meals is always essential—not just during the school day, but also during school breaks and throughout the summer. This is a collective effort, and we rely on ongoing support from our community through donations, volunteering, and raising awareness about food insecurity.
Canada is the only G8 country that doesn’t have a nationally funded and coordinated school food program – a gap that means each community approaches school food differently, and leaves lots of kids and schools without the support they’d benefit from. As members of the Coalition for Healthy School Food, we’re advocates for a coordinated government response to help connect kids to the food they need. We’re thrilled that the federal government has recently announced funding for a School Nutrition Program, and excited for provinces across the country to sign on to ensure students have access to food.
Do you have any events coming up?
We’re a community-funded charity that relies on the incredible support of people like you through financial donations and volunteerism. While we don’t have a specific event coming up, there are many ways to get involved and support our mission! You can host a snack drive, organize a fundraiser, or start important conversations about food insecurity with your colleagues, friends, and family. We encourage anyone looking to make a difference in the community to visit our website and explore more ways to get involved.
Where can we follow you?
You can follow us on our Social Media channels to stay connected and help us spread the word about food insecurity, the work we’re doing to support kids in our community, and ways you can get involved on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
We’d love to have you join us and be part of the conversation!
PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?
There are so many amazing organizations doing incredible work to ensure everyone has access to food, including the Calgary Food Bank, iCan for Kids Foundation, and Meals on Wheels. These organizations share a common commitment: ensuring no one in our community goes hungry. Whether it’s delivering meals, providing grocery gift cards, or offering emergency food hampers, they address food insecurity with care and dignity.
