100 Mile House Elementary School Parent Advisory Council (PAC) president Angela Cole and treasurer Denise Balbirnie are pretty excited about the new kitchen that will be installed this summer.
Some of the challenges facing teachers and the PAC are the children who come to school with no breakfast or lunch, Balbirnie says, adding the school is the largest in the School District 27, including those in Williams Lake.
She notes a couple of programs are in place, including the Fruit Bowl, which welcomes students to take some fruit, and breakfast program that allows any child to get breakfast items.
"PAC members noticed that some children were coming to school without lunches. We started a sandwich program, which the people on lunch-time duty would give to the children."
Volunteer parents make healthy sandwiches that are kept in the fridge.
Cole notes that last year, teachers did a survey and PAC was presented with a very large number of students who didn't have lunch or just brought chips or sweets. She adds Balbirnie, Elke Baechman and herself decided to get a healthy lunch order going and cook it themselves with some parent helpers.
Balbirnie says they started the hot-lunch program last year by making and selling the pre-ordered lunches for $2.50 to help cover the costs.
Cooking in the concession stand isn't easy, she adds, because the room isn't very big and they're working with an old stove, a fridge, no cooking utensils, pots or pans and very limited counter space.
With the funds raised from the hot lunch group, Cole says they successfully feed the children who forget a lunch or need one every day.
"We received a grant by Success by 6 funded through United Way and that gave us our initial start-up fund of $3,000."
Cole adds they also received a $1,000 grant from the Community Action Initiative.
"This initial start-up was a pivotal jump to get a year under our belt and to see if we could make it work."
Cole adds the money was used to purchase pots and pans and all of the kitchen items, including trolleys to serve the food.
On average 120-150 pre-ordered hot lunches are served Balbirnie says, adding, they have fed up to 180 students.
The PAC raised $10,000 to go towards the new kitchen she notes, but, doesn't include appliances. Balbirnie says they need a CSA-approved commercial four-burner convection stove, a two-burner stove top, a microwave and a commercial dishwasher.
"The kitchen counters are being made now and are planned with an under-the-counter space for the dishwasher and are being constructed by the School District 27 (SD27) maintenance staff."
"We received a grant of $2,000 from Ford's Drive 1 4 Ur School and Sunrise Ford donated $500."
She says they received a $1,400 Williams Lake and District Credit Union grant and these grants are for the installation of the kitchen.
The new kitchen will go in the space that is currently used as the photocopier room, which, in turn, will go into the concession space. It will be a big job, Balbirnie says, adding the work will start after the children go home for summer holidays.
Says Cole: "We have applied to the [SD27] saying we have raised enough money to get our new kitchen, and one that we can move around in and not elbow each other as we cook."
For more information, call Balbirnie at 250-395-3691.