With school out for summer, kids are without 'safe haven' for meals, says food bank organizer

With summer vacation off and running, some children across Newfoundland and Labrador are no longer in the one place where they can be guaranteed a meal, says one food bank organizaer in central Newfoundland who is urging people to donate.

Tracy Dawe, a manager with the Lewisporte Interfaith Goodwill Centre and Food Bank, said the summer can be challenging for food security with students out of school. She said schools are a "safe haven" where kids can avail of meal programs.

"It becomes a concern for us that the children are sometimes doing without," she told CBC Radio's Newfoundland Morning.

Compounding that, Dawe said food donations are typically down in the summer because service groups, who would raise donations, also take a break. Schools and church groups also host food drives in the winter but not in the summer.

"Our donations are a little down in regards to food and monetary donations. However, our [Goodwill Centre] sales are doing very well," Dawe said.

However, she said there's been an increase in the number of people using the food bank, which she credits to the increase in the cost of living.

Nearly 40 per cent of children under 18 in Newfoundland and Labrador lived in food-insecure households in 2024, according to a report in May from Proof, a research group based at the University of Toronto.

Rev. Paula Gale, who is also on the centre's board of directors, said the need for donations exists throughout the year, but people don't necessarily think about how the change in the school year means a change in people's circumstances.

For example, Gale said, a single mother might be able to work a few hours during the school year because her kids are in the classroom.

"All of a sudden in July and August, those kids are not in school and under supervision and they're now at home," said Gale.

As a result, she said, the mother might be restricted in the hours she can work because she doesn't have access to child care.

"So we don't think about how the end of the school year for many families really puts people sometimes at a disadvantage in all kinds of ways," said Gale.

For many people in their community the school system is a huge support and not just a place to learn, said Gale.

Dawe said if people can't donate food or money, they can offer their time by volunteering at the Goodwill Centre. She said they have about 120 volunteers, but they also hire students in the summer.

"If anybody is willing to give free of their time, we could gladly use them and they could come along and see me and we can set things up. So volunteering is very important and is an essential part of our service," said Gale.

Gale also encouraged people to shop and donate to the Goodwill store.

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