Game On for Hunger: How Charitable Gaming is Assisting in the Fight Against Child Food Insecurity in Halton

More than 900 children in Halton struggle through each weekend without food.

Food4Kids Halton is a not-for-profit organization that provides packages of healthy food for elementary age kids with limited or no access to food each weekend.

Volunteers assemble and deliver food packages to schools each Friday to ensure children have something to eat over the weekend.

At Charitable Gaming, Community Good, we believe that charitable gaming can leave a positive impact on our communities, and that’s why we are an ongoing source of grassroots funding for local charities and non-profiles across Ontario. Because of the generosity of the community, we can support charities like Food4Kids Halton, and help families and children who need it most.

We were lucky to speak with Dania Thurman, Executive Director of Food4Kids Halton, and discuss how the funds support families of Halton. Dania embodies exactly what you would expect a leader of an important not-for-profit would be. Approachable, kind, and prepared for any obstacle thrown her way.

When dealing with any charity, it’s good to know why the people involved, are involved. When asked, Dania had this to say:

“My background was the breakfast programs, and lunch programs. This was a natural fit for me. I actually went back to school during the pandemic, to study non-profit and voluntary section management. This was one of the jobs that was at the top of my list in terms of jobs.“

Volunteers are the heart of not-for-profits. Naturally, one would want to understand the role of volunteers within the Food4Kids Halton organization. Luckily for you, we asked the executive director just that:

“We have amazing volunteers! But we’re lucky. We’re definitely not suffering with the number of volunteers we have. We’re good. People love to help kids, that’s one of the big differences. Most of our volunteer opportunities are delivering the bags to the schools.“

Community. Where would we be without community? Just take a look at our organization’s name. Charitable Gaming, Community Good. So of course, how the community feels about any organization we support through charitable gaming holds weight. How then, does the community feel about Food4Kids Halton:

“We’re feeding kids. People love that. I’ll admit, we do sometimes get a stigma that because we’re in Halton, people ask, “are there really kids in Halton that need this?” Because when we think of Halton, it’s known more as a “wealthy” place. But the fact of the matter is, there’s a lot of poverty in Halton. It’s not covered regularly in the media, so some people are not aware.”

But what makes a family food insecure? Are general finances the main reason? Food4Kids helps us understand:

“But that also doesn’t have to be the reason why people are food insecure. It could be health reasons, sudden job loss, or separation. There are so many reasons why someone may need to acquire assistance. And the one thing we do is just be there for families when they need the help, regardless of how the need came to be.”

Now, you may be asking yourself, “but what does that support look like?” It’s important to get how each charity impacts the community. There’s no better way to know, than to hear their story:

“We had a mom reach out recently that we were life changing for her during a separation. During that time, she felt hopeless. She said when that food would come, she that someone cared. And it was like a hug. She doesn’t need us anymore. She’s got child support in now. But she was saying that she’ll still take the hugs. And we get that story a lot. We’re there to help when they need it.”

Knowing the longevity of the impact that a charity that supports families with young children can has been nothing short of amazing. Being able to see the funds raised through charitable gaming centres is like magic. Even better when you know that that magic means filling the bellies of our future leaders.

Food4Kids Halton is an active participant in Charitable Gaming. You can support charities like Food4Kids Halton by visiting one of our gaming centres or by visiting the Food4Kids Halton website. Are you ready to support your community?