For the past several years, Jacques Bisson has embodied the spirit of volunteer and community service through his involvement with the breakfast program at Laflèche School in Shawinigan, Quebec. As someone who firmly believes in giving back to the community and is always on the lookout for ways to do more, Jacques started working with Breakfast Club of Canada six years ago, when he found out they were looking for volunteers. For the past three years, he has served as the head volunteer, overseeing the distribution of around 50 breakfasts each morning, using BCC’s “mixed menu” format, alongside a team of like-minded adults and student volunteers from Grades 5 and 6.  

Jacques is passionate about making sure students get a healthy start to their day and is constantly coming up with new ideas for boosting the nutritional value of the meals he prepares. He is quick to roll up his sleeves to test out new dishes. What sets his approach to adapting recipes apart is his dedication to meeting certain essential criteria: each recipe must be cost-effective, use simple ingredients and be built around nutrient-dense foods, all of which align with BCC’s nutritional guidelines. 

Some of the ways Jacques does this is by using spent grain flour from our partners at Still Good, choosing whole-wheat flour instead of white wherever possible, reducing the sugar content of his recipes and maximizing the nutritional value of each ingredient. He actively seeks input from his student volunteers on upcoming meals and, every morning, talks to students about what they are eating and gets them interested in trying new things. Everyone loves what he makes, and his efforts have a real impact on fostering healthy lifestyle habits. 

His latest initiative has involved encouraging students to drink more water. His efforts have resulted in the installation of a water bottle station along with a poster emphasizing the importance of hydration. This stands as an excellent example of Jacques’s commitment to students’ nutrition and well-being. 

Jacques is an inspiration, both within his community and beyond. His ingenious ideas, his hard work and dedication, and his unswerving focus on nutrition make him a role model for everyone around him — young and old alike. He is an inspiring figure for his community and a shining example of what it means to give without expecting anything in return.