In The News

Food insecurity worsened last year, more pronounced in racialized families: StatCan | Toronto Star

November 14, 2023

Nearly seven million Canadians struggled with hunger last year, with some going without food for days amid rising inflation, says a Statistics Canada study.
In 2022, 18 per cent of families in Canada reported experiencing food insecurity within the previous 12 months — up from 16 per cent in 2021, Statistics Canada says in its report, released Tuesday.

To read more, click here.

 

24% of Canadians will turn to charitable services for help within the next six months, new poll suggests | Toronto Star

November 8, 2023

24% of Canadians will turn to charitable services for help within the next six months, new poll suggests
Those turning to charities are mainly going for the first time and cite the cost of living crisis, finds a new report by Ipsos and CanadaHelps.

Read in Toronto Star. 

As cost of living soars, millions of Canadians are turning to food banks | CBC News

October 25, 2023

A new report from Food Banks Canada released Wednesday says the number of people using food banks this spring reached its highest point since it began collecting data in 1989 — and about 17 per cent of them were employed.

To learn more, click here

Ontario to Invest $5 Million in Student Nutrition Programming | A Statement from SNO

October 5, 2023

Today, the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, Hon. Michael Parsa and the Minister of Education, Hon. Stephen Lecce announced an additional $5 million investment in Ontario’s Student Nutrition Program and the First Nations Student Nutrition Program.

To learn more, click here.

Canada is the only G7 country without a national school food program. Advocates say it’s time | CBC News

October 2, 2023

Canada is the only country in the G7 that doesn’t have a national school food program. Researchers say that as high inflation affects food prices, more children need access to these programs — but community groups say they need stable funding from the federal government to keep everyone fed.

To read more, click here.

Food insecurity among Canadian school-age children jumps by nearly 30% | Toronto Star

August 29, 2023

A new report by Children First Canada highlights a 29% increase in food insecurity, with one in four children lacking sufficient access to food. As need rises, Student Nutrition Programs play a crucial role in keeping children nourished. 

To read more, click here.

Canada’s inflation rate is falling, so why are grocery prices still so expensive? | CTV News

August 6, 2023

Economists say there are a number of factors driving up food prices, but they expect food inflation to slow over time. Here’s a look at some of the factors behind Canada’s high grocery prices and what to expect in the coming months.

To read more, click here.

Here’s how much food prices jumped in June in Canada | Yahoo Finance

July 18, 2023

Despite a slowdown in Canada’s annual inflation rate, Canadians continue to pay significantly more at the grocery store as food prices remain stubbornly high.

To read more, click here.

Vast majority of Canadians want a national school nutrition program implemented as soon as possible

June 13, 2023

As we enter the final stretch of the school year, a newly released study commissioned by Breakfast Club of Canada finds that the vast majority (84%) of Canadians say the federal Liberal government should make good on its election campaign promise as soon as possible to provide a $1 billion investment over five years to work towards a national school nutritious meal program.

To read more, click here.  

How rising prices are taking a bite out of school food programs | CBC News

June 11, 2023

Rising costs are making it more difficult for school food programs to meet the needs of students, as families struggle to deal with the high cost of living.

To read more, click here: https://apple.news/AgzmVNHgGRTKDj-rXINGA9A 

Rising food prices hit more than your grocery bill | About That

April 20, 2023

CBC’s ‘About That’ team recently spoke to students, staff and experts across the country about the impact of inflation on school meal programs, and what will happen if meal program budgets run dry.

To watch the full video, click here: https://youtu.be/T07azHzFqm4

Demand for tutors outpacing supply | CBC News

January 9, 2023

After a challenging few years, many students across Toronto are in need of academic support. CBC News visited beyond 3:30 to see our small-group tutoring in action.

To watch the full video, click here: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2159486019743

Tutoring is helping kids catch up — but there aren’t enough spaces for students in need | CBC News

December 22, 2022

Though students are back in the classroom, they’re still feeling the impact of the past few years on their education. Some students need support catching up. Recently, CBC News visited beyond 3:30 to see our small-group tutoring in action.

To read the full article, click here: 
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/catchup-tutoring-demand-1.6677383

Toronto student nutrition programs face ‘critical year’ due to rising food prices | CBC News

September 9, 2022

With demand for nutrition increasing exponentially among students, and the cost of food out of control, this may well be a critical year for Student Nutrition Programs. 

Click here to learn more: 
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/student-nutrition-breakfast-lunch-programs-ontario-1.6569524 

Students going hungry was a problem before COVID-19. What happens to school breakfast programs when a pandemic is changing everything? | Toronto Star

August 20, 2020

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, nutrition programs made many changes in order to keep feeding students.

Click here to read the full article: 
https://www.thestar.com/amp/news/gta/2020/08/20/students-going-hungry-was-a-problem-before-covid-19-what-happens-to-school-breakfast-programs-when-a-pandemic-is-changing-everything.html 

A program to help kids with poor eyesight is also helping their foreign doctors | CBC News

February 1, 2017

A one-of-a-kind vision-screening program for Toronto schoolchildren is giving foreign-trained doctors a rare opportunity to improve their skills so they can apply to Canadian medical residency programs.

Click here to read the full article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/doctors-vision-tdsb-1.3953529 

TDSB serves 136,000 meals to students each day as child poverty rises| CBC News

January 3, 2017

Child poverty is a growing problem in the classroom — and it’s prompting Canada’s largest school board to prepare a staggering 136,000 breakfasts and lunches for students each day.

Click here to read the full article:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-child-poverty-school-1.3907879  

Dana Levenson visits Dundas Public School| CTV News

December 5, 2016

CTV News Toronto’s Dana Levenson visits Dundas Public School Student Nutrition Program.

To watch the full video click here:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-child-poverty-school-1.3907879  

Foundation provides free vision, hearing tests to youth from low-income families | Global News

January 20, 2014

Global News’ Susan Hay and her team paid a visit to George Webster Elementary School in East York, where she documented students in grade five receiving glasses free-of-charge thanks to our supporters at ClearlyContacts.ca.

Click here to read the full article:
https://globalnews.ca/news/1094558/inner-city-schools-receive-the-gift-of-sight-and-sound/