The Story of E4C Summer Snack

From preparation to delivery, the E4C Summer Snack Program is a story of people coming together to provide summer sustenance to children in Edmonton.

Groups of volunteers visit E4C’s kitchen each weekday morning to assemble snacks. There are over 70 volunteers, including companies, clubs and dedicated individuals, who give more than 170 hours of time.

“We volunteer because it’s hands on, we know that the fruit that we’re preparing today will be enjoyed by this afternoon by children in our city,” describes Andrea, a volunteer from the Edmonton Rotary Club North East. 

For Ross Tyson, a former school principal, his reasons for volunteering are deeply rooted, “I know what it does for the kids, everything it does: from increasing the morale to ensuring their ability to think and respond. Nutrition evens the playing field.”

23 red coolers lined with ice are loaded up and sent out to playgrounds around the city. When the snack arrives, the children often come running. Rituals are followed, manners are adhered and the snack is served.

On the playground the reviews come in from the children:

“It’s good for me because it’s a fruit. It gives me energy because of the water. The yogurt and berries give me a pump up.”

What exactly is a “pump up”?

To demonstrate the newfound energy, a series of loosely choreographed moves are shared:

Thank you to all who make the E4C Summer Snack Program possible. The program was developed eighteen years ago to supplement E4C School Nutrition programs, because the need for nutrition doesn’t stop during the summer months.

To donate to E4C nutrition programs, please visit our donate page.