Staff at Children North are working to ensure nobody goes hungry. (Sheldon Merriman/Facebook)

By Derek Cornet

helping hand

Children North steps up to provide hot meals during Scattered Site closure

Jan 7, 2021 | 5:17 PM

Staff at La Ronge’s Children North knew they had to respond when they learned some of the community’s most vulnerable residents were going without food.

“At Children North, we fill the gaps,” said Executive Director Daina Lapworth. “We were sitting having our morning meeting a couple of days ago and the topic came up of Scattered Sites being closed temporarily. We were outside earlier that morning and having some conversations with some of the Scattered Sites people, and they said they haven’t eaten for a couple of days and they were very hungry.”

Wanting to respond to the need as soon as possible, Lapworth explained a health inspector came to their building Monday at noon to ensure the kitchen met standards for serving the public. It was ultimately approved and staff began dishing out meals.

Scattered Site closed earlier this week after several workers were ordered into mandatory isolation after coming into contact with an individual with a possible positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Hot meals ended soon after and clients still lack a warm place to go during the day. Lapworth noted Children North will continue serving meals until at least Jan. 15.

“We’ll continue doing that as much as we can,” she said, adding they’ve been serving at least 30 meals per day. “There’s no funding that pays for that. There’s 22 of us, so we kind of all just split that up a little bit. We’re making soups and chilis and things that are reasonably lower expenses.”

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If anyone would like to assist in the costs of the meals, Lapworth said donations of cash or gift cards for local grocery stores are welcome. She also said Children North has a donation button on its Facebook page. The organization is not allowed to take any food donations.

“It sure makes you appreciate the Scattered Site staff and everything they do every day just to help people,” Lapworth said. “They are pretty amazing.”

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno