Terrie Jarvis

THE MAGIC OF ROTARY happens when Rotarians become aware of a problem and pull together to make a positive difference. Such was the case in mid-2017 when local Rotarians learned that around 5% of school children in our own community risked going hungry on weekends, in families struggling to make ends meet. In Guelph?? We were shocked. Research quickly identified that many children depend on getting free food at school Monday to Friday but often struggle with insufficent food on weekends. Finding that no organization in Guelph was addressing this weekend food gap, the four Rotary Clubs in Guelph pulled together to find and build a solution. By early 2018, a weekend food bag program was launched. It started small, supporting 43 kids at 3 schools. Each year since, the FOOD4KIDS GUELPH program has grown and grown until today the program is now supporting 500 children at 31 elementary schools, year-round. On July 1^st, 2024, this Rotary-inspired food program was handed over to the esteemed Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington. Under their umbrella, the program will keep going and growing under its new name, KEEP KIDS FED AT HOME. Come and hear how THE MAGIC OF ROTARY made all this possible.