Hot Lunch FAQ

FAQ ABOUT HOT LUNCH

WHAT IS MUNCH A LUNCH?

Munch a Lunch is an online ordering system that our school uses as a platform to sell lunches for our hot lunch program and tickets or items for our fundraising events. Munch a Lunch 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. The Hot Lunch Coordinators can answer most inquiries you have about your orders or your account, and those questions should be directed to hotlunchkerrisdale@gmail.com, not Munch A Lunch’s support team.

ARE THE HOT LUNCH PROGRAMS A FUNDRAISER FOR THE PAC?

Yes, PAC hot lunch program is our biggest fundraising program and generates much-needed funds that support many types of programs, purchases and needs the school, staff and students all benefit from. It’s important to know that hot lunch program has been 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. 

I WANT TO VOLUNTEER, BUT I’M 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. We’d love to have you join us whenever you are available. A successful program relies on the dedication of dependable volunteers. It's also a great opportunity to gain insight into the food and the services PAC provides for our community. If you are interested in contributing your time to our lunch program, we only need 2-3 volunteers each day, working from 11:15 AM to 12:15 PM at the Main school. Your assistance is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Please email us at hotlunchkerrisdale@gmail.com if you can sign up!

I HAVE CHILDREN IN both MAin and annex SCHOOLS THAT USE MUNCH A LUNCH. DO I NEED TO HAVE 2 MUNCH A LUNCH ACCOUNTS OR CAN I ORDER FROM ONE ACCOUNT FOR 2 SCHOOLS?

Yes. You need to have two different accounts for your children in different schools. If you need to add a school to your account, you can do this on your own. Please do not contact the Munch a Lunch support team for assistance, as you can perform this task yourself by following this link: https://munchalunch.com/account (click 'Add Second Account').

Can i order the hot lunch week by week?

Yes. You have the option to place your order on a weekly basis, which helps to make payments more affordable. Our ordering system remains accessible, allowing parents to place or cancel or adjust their orders at any time during the session. Please keep in mind that the deadline for placing, canceling, or adjusting orders for the hot lunch of the following week is every Wednesday at 10 pm.

ARE CANCELLATIONS AND CHANGES ALLOWED after I placed the order ?

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 finalize 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.

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 successfully, 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, Munch a Lunch 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. Your future self will be impressed with how organized you are!

WHAT IF MY CHILD IS absent while I ORDERED LUNCH? Can I get refund?

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. Any unclaimed lunches will be donated after 12:15 pm.

Main School: Please send an email to hotlunchkerrisdale@gmail.com before 11 am to inform our parent volunteers whether the lunch will be donated or picked up by parents between 11:30 am and 12:15 pm.

Annex:If parents need to pick up or donate lunches, please contact the office before 11:30 am.

WHY DID THE PRICES OF THE MENU ITEMS INCREASE FROM last year?

We've all felt the impact of these increases due to inflation. The prices for the food we offer are going up, and you'll see this reflected in our menu and the costs we're being charged by our suppliers It's important to know that once we order the food, our suppliers can't change the prices. That's why they gave us prices in September that will stay the same until next June. We work hard to find suppliers who give us good food at reasonable prices and care about the environment. It's a bit like finding a balance between what we want and what we can afford.

IS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE?

We launched the PAC Hot Lunch subsidy campaign for Kerrisdale students who need financial support, to achieve an important goal: to ensure that no child is hungry, and every child eats healthy. If your family needs financial support, please contact Principal/Vice principal, or send email to hotlunchkerrisdale@gmail.com. The PAC has funds set aside for students to get the lunch for at least once a week. It is our aim that all families can access PAC Lunch. Your child's lunch will arrive to class as all others do, and your communications with the principals and hot lunch coordinator will be kept confidential.

WHAT CONSIDERATIONS ARE GIVEN WHEN IT COMES TO PACKAGING OF FOOD FOR THESE PROGRAMS AND BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE?

We are glad this is important to you as it’s important to us! Packaging and waste are a big consideration when we are picking a vendor to supply lunch for our school. 

We are committed to aligning with our school’s Zero Waste Initiative, which aims to reduce the amount of single-use cutlery and packaging that ends up in landfills. Please note that cutlery will not be provided, so we kindly request that you pack reusable cutlery for your children. Our lunches are individually packed in compostable packaging, complete with name and meal labels. We encourage students to bring any leftover lunch home instead of discarding the food to minimize waste.

I’M MOVING SCHOOLS. HOW DO I TRANSFER MY MUNCH A LUNCH ACCOUNT TO OUR NEW SCHOOL?

You can do this independently if you need to transfer to a new school. Please don't contact the Munch a Lunch 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, please reach out to hotlunchkerrisdale@gmail.com to request a refund for any remaining balance in your original Munch a Lunch 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 school emails.

Click https://sites.google.com/kerrisdaleschoolpac.ca/kspac/sign-up-for-our-newsletter?authuser=0  to subscribe to the PAC mailing list or FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.facebook.com/kerrisdaleschoolpac and https://www.instagram.com/kerrisdaleschoolpac/.

CONTACT

Still, have a question that we haven’t answered. Reach out to the Hot Lunch Coordinators at hotlunchkerrisdale@gmail.com. We’d be happy to help you out!