The YK Food Bank is to take over the operations of YK Cares, providing weekend food kits to Yellowknife youth.
YK Cares was formed in January 2015 by Angela Canning and Steve Payne to help ensure children are fed outside school hours.
The food bank’s president, Cherish Winsor, said on Tuesday her group would now use its own food distribution partners to carry on that work.
Winsor urged school administrators to contact the YK Food Bank to discuss introducing the weekend food kits in more local schools.
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“The YK Food Bank’s goal is for all people to have reliable access to sufficient and nutritious food,” Winsor said in a news release.
“When we heard that YK Cares was looking for an organization to take over the distribution of weekend food kits, we felt that this was a natural fit for us.
“Our board and volunteers are excited to expand our operations to reach more members of our community and reduce child hunger.”
YK Cares founder Canning said: “I am so happy that the Yellowknife Food Bank is going to keep the YK Cares program going, and I am excited to see how it will grow to further meet the needs of our youth.”
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Food kits prepared by YK Cares feature six meals designed to provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks for one child.
Forty of the kits are delivered to Yellowknife school counsellors each Wednesday, the food bank said, who then “discreetly distribute them before Friday’s dismissal.”
Aside from taking over the food kits, the YK Food Bank provides food hampers of donated items twice each month to local families and individuals.
