Kids in Calgary head back to school this week, and an increasing number of parents are worried about being able to provide their kids with the most important thing a student needs to succeed — a healthy lunch.

Brown Bagging for Calgary Kids, a charity that assembles lunches for children across the city, said it's expecting to feed around 4,500 hungry students at 227 schools each day.

That number has exponentially increased over the last few years — with the recession, families are struggling to make ends meet," said Tanya Koshawski, the charity's director.

She said in 2005, the organization was serving about 1,200 kids at 75 schools.

'This lunch is love'

Koshawski said that need isn't concentrated to any specific neighbourhood — plenty of high-earning postal codes are struggling.

She's hearing from many families that say after the bills are paid, they're left with just $20 for groceries.

"It's most neighbourhoods, it's in our own backyards," she said.

"This lunch is love. It's the act of caring, it's the act of belonging. And that, we believe, is what is going to help our city build stronger communities and care for each other."

Volunteer Marilyn Jorgensen packs lunches in the charity's downtown kitchen two days each week, assembling sandwiches, along with fresh apple slices, carrots and cookies.

"You can't teach a hungry brain … and sadly from what I've heard for some of these children this is the only food they are going to have until they come back to school the next day," she said.

The organization says if you're aware of any children going without a lunch at school, you can reach out to 403-264-7979 or email info@bb4ck.org.