Hundreds of struggling Calgary families are receiving important new support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s all thanks to a working mom who makes sure the kids get enough to eat.
“I just wanted to give back to the community,” said Holly Peters. “I have fought, everyone has fought, I think especially since the pandemic.”
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Peters has been preparing and distributing meals to people like Lana Ledoux, who was taking care of her children and grandchildren when Peters arrived with a food delivery on Friday.
“It’s very difficult because kids stay home (during the COVID-19 restrictions) and then they eat a lot of food, so it’s very difficult to keep up,” Ledoux said. “We have a low income, so this really helps.”
Peters started his project a couple of days after 2022.
“I prepare all the food myself and then I turn around and put each bag down.
“I literally started with two pots of soup and a Facebook post asking if there was anyone out there that needed food for their kids and got an overwhelming response.”
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Since that first post on it’Feed Our Children’s Facebook Page, Peters has delivered 350 meals.
Hilda Hawkins is one of the people who has benefited from Peters’ efforts.
“The father (of our children) recently lost his job, just before Christmas, so we’re really struggling,” Hawkins told Peters on Friday.
“I found your page and it has been a wonderful help.”
Peters says that making a difference for people like Hawkins and his family is rewarding.
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“I want to make a community,” Peters said. “We should unite in the pandemic.”
The Feed Our Children project has grown far beyond what Peters had imagined.
“To be honest, I thought it was going to be a one-time thing. I have another business, my husband has a business, I have a daughter, a family to take care of,” Peters said. “But once I saw how much of a need there was for it, I couldn’t stop.”
Peters has been covering most of the costs of making the meals herself.
“What I would really like is for the people of the city to come together and help me,” Peters said. “To be able to feed more children.”
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