Behind the scenes at Goodfood is a team of big-hearted entrepreneurs. They have partnered with the Club since 2017, donating more than $153,000 to date. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. For nearly three years, a group of Goodfood employees has been volunteering every week at a school in the Saint-Henri district of Montreal to prepare and serve breakfast.

Goodfood CEO Jonathan Ferrari was kind enough to answer some of our questions at one of these weekly volunteering gigs. Here is what he had to say.

Why is Breakfast Club of Canada a cause you feel strongly about?

In Canada alone, hundreds of thousands of children go to school every morning without breakfast. At Goodfood, we’re committed to the well-being of all Canadians, and this starts with food accessibility.

Early on, my fellow co-founders, Neil Cuggy and Raffi Krikorian, and I decided to partner with an organization that shared these values and gave back to the local community. Breakfast Club of Canada was a natural fit.

For every box purchased, Goodfood contributes to a nutritious meal to a child in need in a school located within a community we serve. A nutritious breakfast has a significant impact on a child’s ability to focus in class and gives them the fuel to achieve their dreams.

“We believe that every Canadian should have access to nutritious and tasty meals, which is why we personally volunteer at Breakfast Club of Canada and why we encourage our team to do the same.”

Why is it important for you to volunteer?

We believe that every Canadian should have access to nutritious and tasty meals, which is why we personally volunteer at Breakfast Club of Canada and why we encourage our team to do the same.

Volunteering gives us an opportunity to give back and connects us to a cause that is close to our hearts. It unites us in a common goal and a shared experience, fosters personal development and brings us together as a community.

“Volunteering with Breakfast Club of Canada is an incredible, transformative experience that I would recommend to anyone. From the relationships with the coordinator to the available activities to the balanced breakfast shared with peers, you can see the positive effect that the program has on the kids.”

What has really hit home for you over the past two years of volunteering with the Club?

Volunteering with Breakfast Club of Canada is an incredible, transformative experience that I would recommend to anyone. From the relationships with the coordinator to the available activities to the balanced breakfast shared with peers, you can see the positive effect that the program has on the kids.

There’s really nothing quite like seeing the smile on a child’s face when they grab a tray full of healthy cereal, fresh fruit and yogurt and go sit with their friends to have a good time before the school day begins.

“The volunteering program has been a resounding success and helped bring further awareness to the issue by connecting the Goodfood team to the cause.”

Why is it important for you to see your employees give back to a cause?

We’ve been rolling up our sleeves (myself and the other co-founders included) and helping out in the kitchen preparing and serving healthy breakfast options at local school breakfast programs for a few years now. We feel that it’s important to lead by example to encourage our team to get involved in this incredibly rewarding experience.

The volunteering program has been a resounding success and helped bring further awareness to the issue by connecting the Goodfood team to the cause.

What would you say to other companies who are thinking about getting involved with BCC?

Even the smallest action can have a positive impact on someone’s life. This year, take a bit of time out of your regular morning routine to spread some positivity and joy in the form of granola, yogurt and orange slices (or any of the other delicious options served up!).

We encourage you to get involved with Breakfast Club of Canada and make a difference in your local community — one balanced breakfast at a time.

Thank you, Goodfood, for giving back to children across Canada!

 

At Breakfast Club of Canada, our priority in Quebec is to make sure that the more than 40,800 children and youth who rely on a school breakfast program get a healthy, balanced meal before classes start. So teaming up with the province’s apple growers, who take great pride in providing a delicious and locally produced source of nutrition, was a bit of a no-brainer!

We have been working closely with Pommes Qualité Québec, which represents Les Producteurs de pommes du Québec and the Association des emballeurs de pommes du Québec, to cater to these needs since 2002. This has translated to more than 250,000 apples served up every year.

Before the pandemic hit, volunteers would slice up apples in the morning, dipping them into a bowl of water and a hint of lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. This year, however, an approach of this nature would clearly not be consistent with COVID-19 guidelines.

So we have worked with Pommes Qualité Québec to come up with another solution. After examining several options, we decided it would be best to distribute whole apples, only in smaller child-friendly sizes, to make them easier to handle and eat. As a result, more than 442,000 apples will be delivered to Quebec breakfast programs during the 2020–2021 school year in response to growing demand.

Our sincere thanks go out to our wonderful partners at Pommes Qualité Québec for this invaluable contribution, which will go a long way in helping children reach their full potential.

For more information about this “fruitful” initiative, we invite you to watch this video (only available in French), which follows the journey of an apple from the orchard to the hands of a group of eagerly awaiting kids!*

*Note that the video was made in 2018, well before the pandemic struck, which is why there are no physical distancing protocols in place.

Learn more about Pommes Qualité Québec here at www.lapommeduquebec.ca