Caring for Kids During Strike

As schools are currently on strike, we are providing lunches through a lunch pick-up model at designated sites across Calgary.

Below, you’ll find current pick-up locations and a FAQ section to help families stay informed and can access BB4CK lunches. We’ll keep this page updated as the situation changes and as new sites are added.

If food isn’t available when you visit a site, please come back the next day. Sites are restocked daily to make sure lunches are available for kids.

Message from Bethany

As our community navigates this strike, Bethany Ross, our Executive Director, shares how Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids is responding to ensure every child continues to have access to the food they need. Watch this short video to learn what this means for our community and how we’re working to support kids during this time.

Pick Up Locations

During the strike, we’ve teamed up with community partners across all four quadrants of Calgary to reduce barriers and keep lunches easy to access for kids.

We’ll deliver nutritious lunches (sandwich, fruit, vegetables, snack and dairy item) to our partners’ pick-up spots during a set time window. Please note that lunches are not available for pick-up at our Central Kitchen during the teachers’ strike. Please, explore the locations below to find the one nearest to you:

Northeast - NE

Trellis Pineridge Club

📍 6012 Rundlehorn Drive NE
🕒 Monday – Friday, 12:30 pm – 2 pm
🎯Location on site: Main Entrance; please let the staff know you are there for BB4CK food support.
🍎 Restocked daily

YMCA Saddletowne

📍 7555 Falconridge Blvd NE
🕒 Monday – Friday, 4 pm – 6 pm
🎯 Location on site: Main Lobby
🍎 Restocked daily

Southeast - SE

Patch Bannister

📍18 Bannister Manor SE
🕒 Monday and Friday, 10 am – 12 pm & 1 pm – 4:30 pm
Wednesday, 1 pm – 4:30 pm
🎯 Location on site: Main Entrance; please ring the doorbell and let the staff know you are there for BB4CK food support.
🍎 Restocked daily

Trellis East/Penbrooke Hub

📍6098 Penbrooke Dr SE
🕒 Monday to Friday, 10:30 am – 6 pm
🎯 Location on site: Main Entrance; please let the staff know you are there for BB4CK food support.
🍎 Restocked daily

West Dover Patch

📍3203 – 31A Ave SE
🕒 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 10 am – 12 pm & 1 pm – 4:30 pm
Wednesday, 1 pm – 4:30 pm
🎯Location on site: Main Entrance; please ring the doorbell and let the staff know you are there for BB4CK food support.
🍎 Restocked daily

YMCA Shawnessy - NEW!

📍400 – 333 Shawville Blvd SE
🕒 Monday to Friday, 11 am – 1 pm
🎯Location on site: Main Lobby/Youth Room
🍎 Restocked daily

Northwest - NW

Trellis Bowness Club

📍7930 Bowness Rd NW Suite 36
🕒 Monday – Friday, 10:15 am – 4:30 pm
🎯 Location on site: Main Entrance; please let the staff know you are there for BB4CK food support.
🍎 Restocked daily

YMCA Shane Rocky Ridge

📍11300 Rocky Ridge Rd NW
🕒 Monday – Friday, 4 pm – 6 pm
🎯 Location on site: Table located in the Front Lobby; please let the staff know you are there for BB4CK food support.
🍎 Restocked daily

Southwest - SW

Patch Shaganappi

📍Unit 11 3520 Balsam Dr SW
🕒 Tuesday and Thursday, 10 am – 12 pm & 1 pm – 4:30 pm
🎯Location on site: Main Entrance; please ring the buzzer to the unit and let the staff know you are there for BB4CK food support.
🍎 Restocked daily

Patch Woodridge

📍249 Woodridge Dr SW
🕒 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 10 am – 12 pm & 1 pm – 4:30 pm
Wednesday, 1 pm – 4:30 pm
🎯Location on site: Main Entrance (door through the gate). Ring doorbell, please let the staff know you are there for BB4CK food support.
🍎 Restocked daily

Lunches During the Strike – FAQ

Quick answers to your questions about lunch pick-up and support during the strike

Q: Who are the lunches for?

A: Lunches are for any kids and families who need them during the strike.

Q: Do families need to register or show ID?

A: No. Families don’t need to register or show ID. Our goal is to make food simple and low-barrier for anyone who needs it.

Q: What kind of food will BB4CK offer during the strike?

We’ll continue offering the same lunches kids usually receive: a sandwich, fruit, veggies, snack and dairy item. All of our lunches are planned to align with Alberta’s Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth, ensuring they are healthy, balanced, and support kids’ needs. We will be offering Turkey & Cheese, Ham & Cheese, Cheese, Roast Beef option, & Wow Butter and Jam.

Q: Is there a limit on food per family?

Q: No. We trust that families are taking what they need. Families are welcome to help themselves, including taking extra lunches home for their children. Families can take for multiple days.

Q: What about nut allergies?

Our kitchen is completely nut-free. We use Wow Butter on Pb and Jam sandwiches, making sure lunches are safe for kids.

Q: Are there vegetarian or halal options?

Yes. We do our best to provide different options so that all kids can enjoy a nutritious lunch that meets their dietary needs and cultural preferences. We regularly offer vegetarian choices like Wow Butter or cheese sandwiches, and we use halal beef.

Q: Will lunches be available every day?

Q: Yes. Lunches will continue to be available throughout the strike, based on the times and availability of each pickup location. Please, refer to the information above.

Q: If schools are on strike, should I stop donating?

A: Not at all. Kids will still need food and community donations make it possible for us to keep providing lunches to kids. Even if schools are closed, we’ll be making and delivering lunches through our pick-up model across all quadrants of the city to reduce barriers and ensure families can access the food their kids need. Ongoing donations allow us to continue supporting kids and families.

Q: Why is BB4CK doing this?

BB4CK exists to make sure kids have access to nutritious lunches, no matter what’s happening in schools. We know that when schools close, the need for food doesn’t go away. Kids will still need food, and we’ll continue making lunches.

Q: How can people support BB4CK during this time?

A: Donations are a big help. They make it possible to buy the food we need to continue providing lunches to kids. We are also in need of volunteer drivers who can pick up lunches at our Central Kitchen and deliver them to pick-up locations. People can also help us spread the word so families know where to access lunches.