'What we're trying to do is keep people alive'

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Bruce Lawson says he gets calls on a regular basis from people who want to support the Karing Kitchen, but don’t know how to help.

The Karing Kitchen, located on Alma Street, is a group that provides people with meals from Monday to Friday. The initiative started in 1983 as a temporary means of helping people during the recession at the time.

More than 40 years later, the Karing Kitchen is continuing to fulfill its mission of feeding people. There are two staff members and a team of volunteers.

“Unfortunately due to the nature of the economy and so many other things we’re still in that situation, said Lawson, the executive director of the Karing Kitchen. “There’s just a lot of people that are vulnerable and need assistance.”

The Karing Kitchen team receives food from the Food Depot Alimentaire, as well as churches and service groups, but Lawson noted their expenses are increasing because of rising costs for food and other supplies. The demand for their services is also growing.

Recently, the Karing Kitchen board launched a sponsorship program called “Lunch on You.” The program offers several levels for financial contributions.

The Daily Sustainer is a donation of $150, which covers the cost of the Karing Kitchen lunches for a day. The Hunger Eradicator donation is $1,000 and covers a week of lunches, and the $3,500 Nutrition Champion donation covers a month of meals.

Will Johnston, co-chair of the Karing Kitchen board, said individuals, families, businesses of all sizes, and philanthropic service groups can donate to the program.

“We tried to give different increments so that everybody could have an opportunity to do something,” he said, noting the different levels help people to visualize the impact their donation is making.

The board is also working on a recognition program initiative to honour those who contributed financially, such as certificates or social media posts.

In addition to food, the donations will go towards items that most people do not often think of, such as garbage bags, paper towel, and cleaning supplies. Lawson noted the costs of those things have been rising as well.

“All those things add up,” he said.

Another purpose of the program is to give people the ability to contribute to providing for vulnerable populations in Moncton. Lawson said some of the people who come for meals are homeless, but many of them are seniors or low-income workers.

Roughly 100 people come for meals per day, but the number fluctuates depending on the season. Winter tends to bring in fewer numbers because of the snow and cold temperatures, said Lawson.

One of the benefits of the Lunch on You program is the chance to raise awareness of issues like homelessness, food insecurity, poverty, and the need for housing, mental health and addictions services.

Johnston said the Karing Kitchen cannot tackle those larger problems, but it does give a warm meal to people who are struggling.

“Homeless and hunger are going to be with us. This is a health issue as far as we’re concerned,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is keep people alive.”

People interested in giving the Lunch on You program can contact the Karing Kitchen.