Student Nutrition Programs
It’s simple: when children are hungry, they can’t focus, and if they can’t focus, they can’t learn. That’s why 826 school and community-based Student Nutrition Programs (SNPs) provide over 225,000 nutritious meals every school day. Here, students eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, or a snack so that they can focus on learning rather than hunger. One in every four children in Toronto lives in poverty and 40% of all children come to school hungry each day. It can be as high as 68% in our most at-risk communities.
Research shows that when children have enough to eat, they feel energized, concentrate better in class and perform better in school. Also, school attendance increases, not surprising as many students told us that they made it to school because they knew that they could get a nutritious breakfast. Funding comes from parent contributions, individual and corporate donations, the City of Toronto and the Government of Ontario. It is our goal to ensure that no child begins the school day hungry. If you’d like to help, please consider a donation to Student Nutrition Programs.
Nutrition Pantry Program
In September 2020, when schools reopened after the first wave of COVID-19 closures, we noticed that some SNPs were unable to operate, and so, we looked for a way to support them. As well, high school students were not learning in-class full time, and had much less access to their SNPs. In response to the increased need, we piloted our Nutrition Pantry (NP) program, to deliver food directly to schools.
After a successful pilot, the NP program continues to grow. We created a Central Pantry which we stock with shelf stable foods that, with the help of TDSB Logistics Services and our grocery partners, we deliver out to elementary schools. This food, along with additional fresh, perishable items sent directly to schools, provides nutritional support to children, at no cost. For secondary students, schools set up Nutrition Pantries, stocked with food provided by TFSS. Here, students are able to choose a week’s worth of food to take home – things like tuna, soup, canned fruit, and cereal – to ensure they have access to food, when they need it. Last year, the NP program supplied 1,284,453 meals, providing nourishing food to over 55,700 students in 170 schools, across Toronto.
The Impact
”Thank you for allowing our son to participate in the Nutrition Pantry at school. This is a big help for him. My husband is off of work due to health problems, and my job has cut down my hours because of COVID and this kind of help from school is helping us sustain our child’s needs.” – Parent
A middle school student’s family could not afford to feed him breakfast. He was arriving at school tired and frustrated which resulted in anger management issues and he often cut classes. Once this student started to eat breakfast and have snacks at his school’s Student Nutrition Program, his attitude changed dramatically, he paid attention in class, and soon was no longer spending time in detention.
An elementary school student’s single mother fell ill and was unable to provide her children with food each morning. The student and her siblings were arriving at school hungry and without snacks to keep their energy up during the day. With the help of their school’s Student Nutrition Program, the student and her siblings not only received the nutrition they needed to get through the school day but also learned how to prepare healthy food.
In The News
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
Toronto student nutrition programs face ‘critical year’ due to rising food prices | CBC News
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
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