Each club served 15 families in their area by providing extra‑large cheese pizzas, bags of fresh apples, ready‑to‑assemble fajita and taco kits, and Uncrustables along with other grab‑and‑go food items.
“With schools closed for nearly a full week and clubs aligning with school districts for extreme weather closures, many families are facing compounded challenges,” the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hamilton said in a release. “Children who rely on meals at school and at the club have gone without those daily supports, small businesses are struggling to stay afloat, and part-time staff members have lost much-needed work hours.”
Tommy John, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Hamilton, said the families deserve support, ”especially in moments like this.“
“Winter can be a challenging time for people in terms of mental health already, and being stuck at home for nine days, it’s a lot,” John said during Friday’s delivery effort. “We want to make sure that even though that our facilities might be closed because we can’t open up safely with the current weather conditions, that we’re not closed to supporting families. We’re going to continue to support the families who we serve.”
John said the joint effort is an example of “what it means to be responsive to your community.”
“We’re grateful to All8Up and Shared Harvest Food Bank for standing with us and we thank our staff and volunteers who are showing up, despite the weather, to care for our families,” he said.
“It is crucial for us to make sure that all of our kids are continuously taken care of, regardless of whether the schools are open or whether the club is open,” said Brittany Blake, administrative director with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hamilton. “It is our responsibility to make sure that we continue the partnerships within the community and continue the relationships with all of our families.”
About the Author
