Calgary, AB [October 6, 2025]—With the teachers’ strike now underway, Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids (BB4CK) has launched its strike response plan to ensure Calgary children continue to access food.

Every school day, BB4CK provides nearly 8,000 lunches to children at over 290 schools across the city. With more than 1 in 3 children in Alberta living in a food-insecure household, the need for food does not go away when schools close.

In response, Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids is shifting to a pick-up model, with lunches prepared in the central kitchen and delivered to nine locations across Calgary, where families can collect them close to home. If the strike continues, more locations will be added to reduce barriers and make sure kids can keep accessing the food they need.

“With schools closed, kids still need food,” said Bethany Ross, Executive Director at BB4CK. “That’s why we’re shifting to a lunch pick-up model and working with amazing partners across the city, so children can continue to access the lunches they need during this time.”

We’ll continue offering the same healthy lunches kids usually receive — a sandwich, fruit, vegetables, and a snack, all planned in alignment with Alberta’s Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth (ANGCY). Lunch options will include a variety of choices such as turkey and cheese, ham and cheese, cheese, a halal meat option, and pea butter and jam

Families can find the full list of pick-up locations, hours, and updates at bb4ck.org/strike-response.

BB4CK continues to welcome community support through donations, signing up as a delivery drive and helping spread the word so families know where to access lunches.

About Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids
Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids (BB4CK) is a community-funded charity dedicated for over 30 years to ensuring kids in our city have access to the food they need to thrive. Together with our bb4ck community – volunteers, parents, school staff, and donors- we connect kids to food year-round through the school lunch program, summer camps, and by supporting families with grocery cards. We are committed to providing low-barrier, dignified access to food, ensuring kids feel cared for and supported by their community.