John Pritchard has been preparing school lunches since 2010.
“It started as a means of making sure kids were getting one good hot healthy meal at my daughter’s school,” says Pure Kitchen’s executive chef.
Over the years, the demand for his homemade meals has grown, so he now provides lunches for five schools.
But, when March break was extended due to the coronavirus (COVID-19 strain) pandemic, he started to think of the children who wouldn’t be returning to school .
“One night I woke up and thought, ‘there are going to be some children who are going to be left in the lurch’. This includes kids who come from difficult situations. For many, it was going to be their only hot meal of the day.”
So, he became determined to do something. From his kitchen, he would make 100 meals a week and arrange for them to be distributed.
“It wasn’t too little an amount. And it was something I could maintain. That’s because I’m relying on the meals that I’m selling to fund it,” says Pritchard, who also shared his idea with others, through email.
The response has been amazing.
“It’s mind-blowing. People really felt like they wanted to reach out and do something. They are making donations and volunteering to deliver the meals. With their support we will be delivering over 100 meals a week.”
On Prince Edward Island, the current health situation is helping to bringing others together again. For example, a local band just launched an album and gave Pritchard a portion of the proceeds.
“They said we want to help some school kids. So people are really reaching out to each other. It’s amazing.”
Get involved
- Interested in helping? Send an email to John Pritchard at [email protected].
- Interested in receiving? School lunch meals for children in need are available by sending an email to John.
