WOLFE HOT LUNCH PROGRAM 2024-25
11 September 2024 – Welcome Back to the General Wolfe Hot Lunch info page!
After all the positive survey feedback we received for our new hot lunch vendor, Foodie Kids will be returning as our primary provider for the 2024-25 school year. Hot Lunches will be run every Tuesday and Friday starting on September 24, with the order deadline one week in advance. In addition to the regular weekly lunches, the PAC will run Fun Lunch Days such as Pizza, Sushi, A+W, Subway days on one Thursday every month this year! Please see below for scheduled dates and details on how to order.
MunchaLunch will continue to be our primary ordering platform. If you haven’t done so, set up your MunchaLunch accounts! See details on how to set up your account below. Your best source of information for the hot lunch programs is by joining the PAC mailing list, as information and last-minute reminders will be distributed that way. See the subscription sign-up form HERE.
The Hot Lunch Program can’t happen without the support of volunteers. If you are interested in helping out, we are always looking for more volunteers. If you can help occasionally, please complete this FORM to add yourself to our volunteer list.
If there are any questions or concerns, please send us an email at wolfehotlunch@gmail.com.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Highlights: Foodie Kids is a hot lunch catering company that prepares, packages and delivers hot lunches to our school twice a week on Tuesday and Friday. This company offers 15-20 entrees to choose from daily, plus 18 sides, desserts and drinks to add on. Gluten-free and Vegetarian options are available. Rotating theme days include Pasta Day, Kebabs Day, Mexican Day and Asian Day. Kid favourites such as sliders, pizza, lasagna, mac & cheese, chicken strips, and grilled cheese sandwiches are available each day as part of the “Always Available” menu.
Order Deadline: Please note that the order deadline is Wednesday every week for lunches that fall in the following week. For example, place your order by Wednesday, September 18 at 11:59pm to participate in lunches on Tuesday, Sept. 24 and Friday, Sept. 27. See below to find out how to order.
Important to know: CUTLERY IS NOT PROVIDED, PLEASE SEND CUTLERY TO SCHOOL WITH YOUR CHILD(REN).
Food Images: Scroll down to view some images from Foodie Kids.
Highlights: This parent/guardian-led hot lunch program runs on select Thursdays. Volunteers are needed to make this program run successfully, please see the volunteer section for details on how to sign up.
Vendors: Subway, Pizza, Sushi/Japanese and A+W are a few options we have scheduled, based on your feedback. They will run on Thursday once a month throughout the school year. Our first PAC Fun Lunch will be on Thursday, October 3 – Pizza Day.
We are looking for new vendors to check out, so please reach out if you have one to share or suggest. See below to find out how to order.
Volunteer: Our PAC Fun Lunch program can only run if we have parent volunteers to help out. An average hot lunch takes about 6-8 volunteers, and shifts last around 45 minutes. If you can help occasionally, please complete this FORM to add yourself to our volunteer list.
Important to know: CUTLERY IS NOT PROVIDED, PLEASE SEND CUTLERY TO SCHOOL WITH YOUR CHILD(REN).
Order Deadline: Typically 5-8 days in advance, depending on the vendor.
Food Images: Scroll down to view some images from our vendors.
What is MunchaLunch? MunchaLunch is an online ordering system that our school will use as a platform to sell lunches for our hot lunch program and sell tickets or items for our fundraising events. MunchaLunch is not a lunch provider (ie, a caterer or restaurant) but a platform that allows us to sell the items we offer for purchase, process funds on credit cards and streamline our hot lunch program with easy-to-access reports and labels.
HOW TO ORDER
Ordering is now live on MunchaLunch for all Hot Lunch dates from September to February. Dates for the next term will be added in early January once we confirm menus and volunteers.
To order your lunches, you will need to create an account with the MunchaLunch Ordering System. Participation in the program is completely optional. For those that do participate, thank you for supporting these programs which contribute to our fundraising goals each year.
- Click the “Register Here” button. The system will guide you through registration.
- After adding your children, click the green “Order Lunch!” button to order.
- Next time, just click the “Login Here” button to access your account.
Help us maximize our fundraising efforts! By ordering for multiple weeks at a time and/or placing lunch orders for all of their children before proceeding to the payment page, families can help us reduce the transaction fees. The charge is triggered every time an order is paid for, not placed or submitted through MunchaLunch. This fee is currently added to the markup of all items we sell. The details of these fees are outlined below in the FAQs.
The Hot Lunch Coordinators can answer most inquiries you have about your orders or your account. Email us at wolfehotlunch@gmail.com, not the MunchaLunch’s support team.
IMAGES FROM OUR VENDORS
FOODIE KIDS . Every Tuesday + Friday
MINATO JAPANESE . Select Thursdays
A+W BURGERS . Select Thursdays
HOT LUNCH FINANCIAL SUPPORT
The General Wolfe Elementary PAC has created a fund, accessible to families facing financial hardships, to grant every child in our school the opportunity to participate in our Hot Lunch Programs. We believe that every child should have the opportunity to participate in this program, should the desire be there, regardless of financial situation. With the PAC funds gathered, we can provide tailored financial assistance directly into your MunchaLunch account to help with your family’s hot lunch costs.
If your family would benefit from this program, we encourage you to take advantage of it. Please contact us at wolfehotlunch@gmail.com. We can help with details and connect your family to the hot lunch financial support.
If you’d like to contribute to the fund, please see the Hot Lunch FAQs below.
HOT LUNCH FAQs
Are the Hot Lunch Programs a fundraiser for the PAC?
Yes, our hot lunch program generates much-needed funds that the PAC relies on annually to help support many types of programs, purchases and needs the school, staff and students all benefit from. It’s important to know that these programs are completely optional and are offered as a service to the parent community while contributing to our fundraising goals. We are grateful to the many families that have supported and continue to support these programs.
Is financial assistance available?
If your family is experiencing financial hardships and your child is unable to participate in the hot lunch programs, please reach out to the Hot Lunch Coordination team at wolfehotlunch@gmail.com. The PAC has funds set aside for students to participate in these programs that might not otherwise be able to due to financial challenges. We can also help connect you with the school principal if lunches are required everyday.
How can I contribute to the PAC Hot Lunch Financial Support?
When you order your hot lunches, a “SUBSIDY CONTRIBUTION” menu item under treats will be available for you to add to your order.
I placed an order. How do I know it went through? If I order a few months out, will I be reminded of the days I ordered?
If your order was placed and you followed the steps to pay for your order, you will receive an email confirmation with your order details. If, however, you placed the order and did not pay, after an hour elapses, your order will automatically be cancelled, and you will be sent an email notifying you of this, including a copy of your cancelled order. Regarding reminders of orders, MunchaLunch automatically sends you an email reminder the day before each lunch you have an active order. So go ahead and order for multiple weeks at one time.
Are cancellations and changes allowed if something comes up or my child wants to change something we ordered for them? What if my child is sick, and I ordered lunch?
Orders can be cancelled or changed up until the order cut-off date/time by logging into your account and going to “My Account” > “View My Orders” > and proceed to “Edit” the order in question. This process will allow you to put your items back into the cart, add or remove items as necessary and re-submit the order. If the new order costs more, a payment will be required to finalise the changes within an hour. If the new order costs less, the balance will remain on your account as a credit and will be automatically applied to your next order.
We, unfortunately, cannot change or cancel orders after the order deadline has passed as the order has then been submitted to the vendor, and the PAC has now paid for that item from your order. No refunds or credits are permitted after the order deadline passes. You are always welcome to come to the school to pick up your child’s lunch if they are absent due to illness.
I hear you say we should pay for multiple lunches in one transaction. What is this all about?
Everyone knows that credit cards charge fees to the vendor for the payment service they provide, and in this situation, the PAC is the vendor as we price items on MunchaLunch and sell them for a profit to support our fundraising goals. In addition to the 2.9% processing fee, we are also charged a $0.30 transaction fee, which is substantial when it’s charged on a small order.
Families can help us reduce these transaction fees by placing lunch orders for all of their children before proceeding to the payment page. The charge is triggered every time an order is paid for, not placed or submitted through MunchaLunch. Ordering for multiple weeks at a time also further reduces these fees, adding to our fundraising bottom line. This fee is currently added to the markup of all entrees we sell.
Why is the deadline to order so far in advance?
For our regular Hot Lunches and PAC fun lunches, Foodie Kids and local restaurants require 5-10 days notice to purchase their ingredients and prepare fresh meals for the volume of our hot lunch orders the following week.
I want to volunteer, but I am not available every week, should I bother?
Yes! Many of our volunteers join us more casually and do not help out every time. The process is easy to learn, and the commitment is usually less than an hour. Come join us whenever you are available. We need volunteers to make these programs possible, and thank you in advance for your consideration. To sign up, please fill out this FORM to add yourself to our volunteer list.
What considerations are given when it comes to packaging of food for these programs and being environmentally responsible?
Packaging and waste are a big consideration when we are picking a vendor to supply lunch for our school. Foodie Kids has a great model with nearly all packaging compostable or recyclable. Lunches are also delivered to our school in reusable thermal bags separated by hot and cold and division. This is partly why this vendor doesn’t provide cutlery, and we ask families to send this from home.
I’m moving schools. How do I transfer my MunchaLunch account to our new school?
You can do this independently if you need to transfer to a new school. Please don’t contact the MunchaLunch support team for help, as you can do this task yourself by following this link: https://munchalunch.com/account (click ‘Transfer My Account’). If your family wishes to transfer schools in the middle of a school year, you can self-transfer by logging in to your account and going to – My Family > Transfer School.
I have children in 2 different schools that use MunchaLunch. Do I need to have 2 MunchaLunch accounts or can I order from one account for 2 schools?
If you need to add a school to your account, you can do this on your own. Please do not contact the MunchaLunch support team for assistance, as you can perform this task yourself by following this link: https://munchalunch.com/account (click ‘Add Second Account’).
I forgot my password. How do I recover it?
On the login page: https://munchalunch.com/login > click ‘Forgot Password’ > the system will send a password reset link.
How do I find out when new dates are added and available to order?
Your best source of information and current updates for the hot lunch program is by joining the PAC mailing list. Program information or changes, new dates being released and last-minute reminders will be distributed via the PAC Newsletters and emails. To subscribe to the PAC mailing list, fill out the form HERE.
CONTACT
Still have questions? Reach out to the Coordination Team at wolfehotlunch@gmail.com. We will do our best to help you out.
Please note that the email account is monitored by volunteers who are busy parents just like you, and we will try to respond as soon as we can. Thanks!
Helen, Claire & Sameena
(Hot Lunch Coordinators for the 2024-25 school year)