THE GOOD PLACE
An Apple a Day
Niagara’s Community Crew is changing children’s lives, one lunch at a time.
By Nicole Keen
(From top) A Community Crew volunteer on carrot duty; Executive Director Trudy Schroeder. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF COMMUNITY CREW; COURTESY OF TRUDY SCHROEDER
10 YEARS AGO, Trudy Schroeder was just a concerned parent, wondering how she could help nourish her children’s classmates, some of whom regularly came to school without lunches. Banding together with a few like-minded volunteers, the group started making sandwiches to meet the need — and Community Crew was born.
Today, Schroeder is the executive director of Community Crew, and the organization provides 4,500 healthy lunches per week to 36 schools across the Niagara region. The meals are aligned with the nutritional recommendations in Canada’s Food Guide, and Halal, gluten-free and dairy-free options are available.
Community Crew has even partnered with local Niagara farmers, who donate fresh apples and cucumbers. “We are fully donor-based,” Schroeder explains. “We have absolutely generous supporters in the community.” Another key piece of the puzzle: the more than 130 volunteers who prep and deliver lunches. “If we didn’t have the volunteers, we couldn’t do it,” says Schroeder.
“Our [lunch program] nurtures confidence, it builds skills, and it really strengthens the bond that we have in our community.”
What motivates people to stay involved? Volunteers realize they’re making a real difference to the children they serve — and not only when it comes to hunger. “This isn’t about just nourishing their bodies. It’s also about empowering them to become leaders in their homes and in the schools,” Schroeder says. “Our [lunch program] nurtures confidence, it builds skills, and it really strengthens the bond that we have in our community.”
Thanks to Community Crew, some of our youngest local citizens are learning what it means to give back. Schroeder notes that children as young as six years old have been known to accept donations in lieu of birthday gifts. And several students recently organized a snack drive, collecting nearly 3,000 items for classmates in need.
The icing on the cake? On Tuesdays, every lunch delivery includes a handwritten note bearing words of encouragement for the recipient. The notes are written by volunteers of all ages, from retirees to high-school students, and have become a cherished part of the program.
“At Edith Cavell Public School, there was one little girl who kept her notes in her desk and read them all the time,” Schroeder recalls. “I think that’s what our lunches do. They let the kids know that they’re seen and they’re heard.” CAA
Handwritten notes accompany student lunches every Tuesday. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF COMMUNITY CREW
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(From left) A Community Crew volunteer on carrot duty; Executive Director Trudy Schroeder. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF COMMUNITY CREW; COURTESY OF TRUDY SCHROEDER
(From top) Niagara Safety Village provides safety education programs to more than 6,500 students every year; Shirley Cordiner. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NIAGARA SAFETY VILLAGE
10 YEARS AGO, Trudy Schroeder was just a concerned parent, wondering how she could help nourish her children’s classmates, some of whom regularly came to school without lunches. Banding together with a few like-minded volunteers, the group started making sandwiches to meet the need — and Community Crew was born.
Today, Schroeder is the executive director of Community Crew, and the organization provides 4,500 healthy lunches per week to 36 schools across the Niagara region. The meals are aligned with the nutritional recommendations in Canada’s Food Guide, and Halal, gluten-free and dairy-free options are available.
Community Crew has even partnered with local Niagara farmers, who donate fresh apples and cucumbers. “We are fully donor-based,” Schroeder explains. “We have absolutely generous supporters in the community.” Another key piece of the puzzle: the more than 130 volunteers who prep and deliver lunches. “If we didn’t have the volunteers, we couldn’t do it,” says Schroeder.
“Our [lunch program] nurtures confidence, it builds skills, and it really strengthens the bond that we have in our community.”
What motivates people to stay involved? Volunteers realize they’re making a real difference to the children they serve — and not only when it comes to hunger. “This isn’t about just nourishing their bodies. It’s also about empowering them to become leaders in their homes and in the schools,” Schroeder says. “Our [lunch program] nurtures confidence, it builds skills, and it really strengthens the bond that we have in our community.”
Thanks to Community Crew, some of our youngest local citizens are learning what it means to give back. Schroeder notes that children as young as six years old have been known to accept donations in lieu of birthday gifts. And several students recently organized a snack drive, collecting nearly 3,000 items for classmates in need.
The icing on the cake? On Tuesdays, every lunch delivery includes a handwritten note bearing words of encouragement for the recipient. The notes are written by volunteers of all ages, from retirees to high-school students, and have become a cherished part of the program.
“At Edith Cavell Public School, there was one little girl who kept her notes in her desk and read them all the time,” Schroeder recalls. “I think that’s what our lunches do. They let the kids know that they’re seen and they’re heard.” CAA