Have you ever been to a big family meal, looked at the table, and thought ‘good thing this was potluck – imagine having to buy (and cook) all that food?!’ Well, our house parents not only imagine it – they do it every week! Feeding ten youth (with ravenous appetites!) is no small feat. We asked one of our housemothers to give us a peek into her weekly shopping list, and she delivered!

12 4-litre jugs of milk

14 cans frozen juice

1 large can juice crystals

40 juice boxes

6-8 family size boxes of cereal

15-20 loaves of bread

6-8 packages of sandwich meat

1-2 jars of jam

1 large jar of peanut butter

2 large boxes of Ritz sandwich crackers/cookies

4-5 bags of apples

3-4 bags of oranges

30-40 bananas

1 large bag of carrots

1-2 bunches of celery

3 cucumbers

3 large bags frozen vegetables

3-6 heads romaine lettuce

1 cake mix

2 cans of apples

1 bag butterscotch Chip-its

2 brownie mixes

3 family size packages of ground beef

3 roasts or large hams

16-20 chicken breasts/parts

3 packages of sausage (10 per package)

16-20 pork chops

20-30 pounds of potatoes

6 packages of noodles/Kraft Dinner

1 large box of rice

4 1kg bags of fries

1 large box of scalloped potatoes

1-2 bottles ketchup

1-2 bottles of salad dressing

24 rolls of paper towel

30+ rolls of toilet paper

1 bottle dish soap

1 4-litre jug of bleach

1 4-litre jug of all purpose cleaner

1 bottle Windex

1-2 bottles bathroom cleaner

Misc: flour, sugar, croutons, brown sugar, coffee, coffee creamer, spices, mustard, relish, mayo, pickles, relish, cheese, cheese slices, sauces, etc.

There you have it folks. Food for one week in a group home! Hopefully there’s help with carry-out.