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Supporting Our Schools, Shaping Our Planet’s Future
As we celebrate Earth Day, Breakfast Club of Canada highlights the global movement to raise awareness about preserving the planet. As we work to foster students’ well-being and empower them to achieve their potential, we are proud to support school breakfast programs with equipment and resources to make their programs more environmentally sustainable and commend all our partners who share these green aspirations.
Read on to learn more about some of the innovative, eco-friendly initiatives that schools in Breakfast Club of Canada’s network are making happen.
Protecting Mother Earth
Cando Community School, Cando, Saskatchewan
Protecting nature is valued by everyone at Cando Community School, which serves the Cando area and the Mosquito and Red Pheasant First Nations. In the fall of 2022, the administration at Cando Community School requested support from the Club to purchase a set of insulated containers that can be used to prepare and serve a wider variety of hot and cold breakfast items. This approach has made the breakfast program more environmentally sustainable and helps save on food transportation and storage costs and time.
Waste not, want not
Charles-Bruneau School, Montreal, Quebec
In 2020, the administration of Charles-Bruneau School set up a green committee to raise students’ awareness of their environmental footprint and encourage behaviours that reduce food waste. As a result of the committee’s efforts, breakfast is now served in reusable sealed containers, cereal is bought in bulk and students wash their own dishes.
Congratulations to all students, staff and breakfast program volunteers for your inspiring ideas making a world of difference. Keep up the great work!
Thank You to our Breakfast Champions!
From May 15 to June 16, 2023, over 3,500 breakfast programs from across the country are invited to join Breakfast Club of Canada’s Breakfast in Unison to celebrate the outstanding work of the volunteers and school staff who devote their time and energy to ensure everything runs smoothly and children can get a healthy start to the day.
In the weeks leading up to these celebrations, schools and community organizations were asked to nominate a Breakfast Champion whose drive and determination are vital to their program. The result: over two hundred nominees from coast to coast to coast!
A special thank-you to all our Breakfast Champions from everyone here at BCC for what you do, day in and day out, for the next generation.
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Ontario
Quebec
Saskatchewan
No-Bake Baked Beans
Check out this quick and easy recipe for a filling, protein-packed breakfast this spring! Guaranteed to satisfy everyone at the table.
Yield: About 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Serve with whole grain bread and fruit for a complete breakfast. For a little extra protein, add an egg!
Adapted from: https://www.seriouseats.com/quick-morning-beans-and-fried-eggs-recipe
An Inspiring Volunteer and Her « Projet Écolimentaire »!
As the 2020–2021 school year got underway, Saint-Coeur-de-Marie School was still short a site coordinator for its breakfast program.
Having just moved to Saint-Damien, Catherine Rixhon took advantage of the opportunity to get involved in the community and do something positive for the next generation through her twin passions of cooking and gardening. She loved the experience immediately and saw that she would be making a real difference in the day-to-day lives of students. But she was far from done contributing! She reached out to an organization that funds community health projects and secured a grant for the school, which was then used to start an initiative known as “Projet Écolimentaire.” The objective is to make locally grown foods more available to students. Part of the funding went toward procuring new appliances and accessories for the school kitchen. The school already had a seed planter, courtesy of the Municipality of Saint-Damien, which meant that everything was in place to allow students in every class to plant, grow and harvest a variety of fruits and vegetables in their community garden. Potatoes, kale, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, garlic and bell peppers are among the plants they proudly tend.
But what about potential food waste? No worries there! Catherine had yet another trick up her sleeve. She and seven other community recruits meet up twice a month to make and freeze healthy, delicious dishes like omelets, kale chips, muffins, breakfast cookies and smoothies to serve in the school’s breakfast program. It wasn’t long until parents were clamouring to join in on the fun. After all, helping out in the kitchen once or twice a month is easier for most than volunteering every day during school hours.
When asked about why she decided to take the lead on this project, Catherine credited her own sustainability-minded values. She is determined to reduce the quantity of individually packaged foods served at the school and focus on locally grown items. “If you want to change society, I think you have to start by educating children,” she says. That is why she is committed to piquing students’ curiosity by exposing them to different combinations of fresh, healthy foods and encouraging them to talk about what they like and how each food is unique. In addition, twice a week, she delivers special announcements over the school’s PA system about healthy eating and the environment. It’s a great way to raise awareness about nutrition and food waste among students and staff alike. As a result, composting has gradually worked its way into the school’s routine practices.
Even if she doesn’t consider herself to be a morning person, Catherine is delighted and honoured to be involved in the school’s breakfast program. “I’m always raring to get to the school in the morning. The breakfast program has put a little extra pep into my life!”
Federal Budget 2023 – National School Food Program
Children across Canada will have to wait
Boucherville, March 28, 2023 – Following the tabling of the federal government’s 2023 budget, Breakfast Club of Canada is concerned that no financial commitment to implementing a national school nutritious meal program has been put forward.
“At the rate the federal government is moving, Canada risks remaining the only G7 country without a school nutrition program for months, if not, years to come. Despite the federal government’s goodwill to implement such a program, we must recognize that the 2023 budget sends contradictory signals,” comments Tommy Kulczyk, President and Chief Executive Officer at Breakfast Club of Canada.
Nutrition is key to children’s overall health, well-being and learning. It is well documented that a healthy and nutritious diet is important to ensure optimal health, growth, and development, prevent various chronic diseases, and support learning. However, many children and youth across Canada are at risk to start their school day on an empty stomach. In fact, this situation may worsen, as inflation and higher interest rates make it more difficult for families to afford sufficient and healthy foods. As a result, many Canadians are adjusting their behaviour to cope with rising food prices: over 30 percent are eating less nutritious food and nearly 20 per cent are reducing meal sizes or skipping meals.
“There has never been a more critical time to invest in school nutrition programs and ensure that all children across the country have access to the nutritious foods they need to develop their full potential,” adds Judith Barry, Co-Founder and Director, Government Relations. “Despite the federal government’s commitment to develop a National School Food Program, four years following the first budget mention related to creating such program, in 2019, there is still no committed funding.”
A first substantial, multi-year funding in 2023 would have assisted in strengthening existing school nutrition programs in all provinces and territories, accelerating the impact of resources invested by all stakeholders, and filling the gaps in their reach and quality.
Breakfast Club of Canada is committed to continuing to collaborate with all donors and stakeholders as well as federal, provincial and territorial governments, to ensure that Canada becomes a country where no children go to school on an empty stomach.
About Breakfast Club of Canada
Since 1994, Breakfast Club of Canada has been working with partners from all sectors to help children access a nutritious breakfast and reach their full potential. Accredited by Imagine Canada for its effective governance and recognized for its promotion of local food products, the Club helps reach more than 580 000 children in over 3,500 programs in academic and community settings across the country. The ultimate goal: access to a nutritious breakfast for every child, every day. To learn more, visit breakfastclubcanada.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Source: Breakfast Club of Canada
For further information: Eric Aach, eaach@national.ca, 514 569-3594
Breakfast Club of Canada applauds funding announced in Budget 2023 dedicated to support school food programs across British Columbia
Vancouver, March 2, 2023 – Tuesday, the Government of British Columbia announced the details for Budget 2023, which includes dedicated new funding to support sustainable school food programs across the province. A total of $214 million over the next three years will be invested in expanding existing school food programs and increasing capacity to address student hunger.
Breakfast Club of Canada welcomes this announcement that will leverage existing contributions from food security organizations and the private sector. We will continue to work with all stakeholders to advance the development of school nutrition programs, which have positive impacts on the health and education of children across the country.
“As many children and families continue to struggle with the impacts of inflation and lack of access to nutritious foods each day, this funding is an inspiring step towards ensuring that every child in the province can benefit from school food programs and reach their full potential,” stated Judith Barry, Cofounder and Director of Government Relations at Breakfast Club of Canada. “This new investment will position BC as a leader in school food programs in the country. We look forward to collaborating with all stakeholders involved in ensuring our support to future generations.”
It takes an entire team to effectively promote access to nutritious food for children. This commitment from the Government of British Columbia will help emphasize the importance of the ongoing work with non-profit organizations and the need for community connections, inclusion and continued support from donors to ensure that all children are able to benefit from a nutritious breakfast to start their day.
About Breakfast Club of Canada
Since 1994, Breakfast Club of Canada has been working with partners from all sectors to help children access a nutritious breakfast and reach their full potential. Accredited by Imagine Canada for its effective governance and recognized for its promotion of local food products, the Club helps reach more than 580 000 children in over 3,500 school nutrition programs across the country, including over 18,000 children in more than 300 programs in British Columbia each day. The ultimate goal: breakfast for every child, every day. To learn more, visit breakfastclubcanada.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Media Contacts
For more information or to speak with a Breakfast Club of Canada spokesperson, please contact:
Victoria Jaklin
victoria.jaklin@breakfastclubcanada.org