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Regional Office 411-470 Granville St Vancouver, BC, V6C 1V5
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Breakfast Club of Canada faces an increase in needs
Inflation and rising food costs
Boucherville, November, 1— Barely two months after the start of the school year, Breakfast Club of Canada is facing an important increase in the need for access to nutritious food in schools, and a double increase: the number of children served has doubled in recent years, and more than 70 schools in highly vulnerable areas are on a waiting list for a program in Quebec. Added to this is the rising cost of food, which puts a heavy strain on the non-profit’s ability to maintain its activities.
In this particular context, the Club is asking the government of Quebec to include in its next budget the funds needed to deal with this critical situation by offering equal opportunity for all children attending schools in underprivileged areas.
Nearly 80,000 children reached in Quebec
Over the past few years, the Club has seen a steady and sustained growth in demand for its services, and this trend seems to have accelerated since the start of the school year. Interestingly, between 2020 and 2023, the number of children reached by the Club increased by 95%, from over 40,000 to over 79,000 across the province, while the number of breakfast programs has increased by only 30%.
A growing waiting list
Because of the high pressure of inflation on the organization, the Club must aim all its resources on maintaining its current activities and does not have the financial capacity to support the establishment of new programs. As a result, the waiting list has been growing steadily for the past two years. Today, more than 70 schools in the most underpriviledged areas in Quebec are hoping to see a breakfast program open in their area.
Too many hungry students
To ensure that all children start their day with a full stomach, the Club wants to reach all children who attend a school in an underprivileged area in the province (socio-economic index [SEI] of 8, 9 or 10). At present, nearly 180,000 children in over 660 schools in vulnerable areas do not benefit from this essential support for academic success and equal opportunities.
The Quebec region with the greatest needs are Montreal (68,600 children), Montérégie (28,600) and Lanaudière (14,500).
Other regions of Quebec also have very high rates of underserved children. These include Centre-du-Québec, with 6,600 children to be reached, representing 79% of students in underprivileged areas, Bas-Saint-Laurent (72.6%) and Abitibi-Témiscamingue (71%).
Quotes
“Our greatest wish is to be able to support children, especially those attending schools in underpriviledged areas. For months now, we’ve been doing our utmost to meet the ever-increasing demand. However, the needs are far greater than the means currently available. That’s why we’re calling on the government of Quebec to include the necessary financial support in its next budget.”
– Tommy Kulczyk, president and CEO, Breakfast Club of Canada
“Breakfast Club of Canada has the structure, expertise, financial backing from the private sector and the general public, hundreds of committed volunteers and a solid network of partners to reach all children in underprivileged areas right now. Unfortunately, we simply don’t have the financial capacity. We want the government of Quebec to make concrete, short-term commitments.”
– Marie-Claude Bienvenue, Vice-President, Government and Municipal Relations – Quebec, Breakfast Club of Canada.
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 sound governance and recognized by Aliments du Québec for its promotion of local food products, in addition to its efforts across Canada, the Club helps reach children in every province and territory across the country. Find out more on our website at breakfastclubcanada.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.
For further information
Virginie Aubé Pelletier
TACT
514 243-0329
vapelletier@tactconseil.ca
Source
Breakfast Club of Canada
Affirming Cultural Identity, One Bite at a Time
Known for its spectacular northern lights, its vast boreal forest and its majestic rivers, Kuujjuaq is the largest community in Nunavik and a bustling centre of activity for the entire Nord-du-Québec region. It is also home to Pitakallak Primary School, where a school food program has been changing young lives since 2020. While visiting the area in 2022, Tania Angulo, Senior Advisor, Impact and Sustainable Solutions, had an opportunity to sit down with the team behind the program’s success.
Join us in learning more about how cultural practices in the region’s Indigenous communities make their way to every breakfast plate.
Tell us a little about your school’s breakfast program.
Pitakallak Primary School has been serving healthy breakfasts to students since October 2020. That’s 175 children nourished every morning. Ours is a cold breakfast program. Every day, the program coordinator prepares the food, arranges it in the delivery bins and leaves the bins at the front desk for teachers or students to pick up and distribute in class.
How do you adapt the Club’s menus, guidelines and tools to suit the needs of your school?
In many of our local Indigenous (mostly Inuit) communities, eggs, bacon and cereal are the breakfast items of choice. There’s not a lot of fruit served. But in our program, children have access to all three categories of food in the morning: protein food, whole-grain food and fruit or vegetable. Some eat two and save the third for an afternoon snack. Thanks to our partners, we have mini-fridges and toasters in the classrooms. We don’t serve more traditional dishes here at the school, but at different points throughout the year, we put on tasting activities as part of the provincial Healthy Schools program. In the spring, students get the chance to try things like dragon fruit, pink grapefruit and different berries. In the fall, there’s an emphasis on squash. And then there are the green and red apples that are a hit with students all year long.
What about your breakfast program makes you the proudest?
There’s no food waste at our school. Our teachers’ efforts to get students to embrace a zero-waste mindset have paid off.
What kind of dietary habits do local Indigenous communities have?
During harvest season, members of the community gravitate toward crowberries, cranberries, blueberries, kale, watercress, lettuce and shallots. Other times of the year, people eat caribou and beluga meat, ptarmigan and trout.
Thanks to Pitakallak School principal Nancy Cain and program coordinator Nathalie Collin for their input and insights.
Diwali — Festival of Lights and Delectable Bites
Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Hindu celebration during which people light lamps, set off fireworks and prepare an array of mouthwatering dishes. Here are two Diwali recipes you may want to work into your own breakfast program:
Carrot Halwa: Carrot halwa is a rich, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth pudding studded with fruits and seeds (and sometimes nuts). Its vibrant colour and flavour make it a staple for Diwali, as well as other Indian festivals and special occasions throughout the year.
Aloo Tikki: Aloo tikki is a seasoned potato patty. It can be stuffed with a chaat masala spice blend, chana dal (split chickpeas) or other ingredients. But for this recipe, let’s stick to the basics.
Carrot Halwa
8 to 10 small servings
Ingredients
Directions
Note: Can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Will keep for 2 to 3 days.
Apple Pumpkin Baked Oats
Photo : Bucket List Tummy
Step into the cozy embrace of autumn with our Apple Pumpkin Baked Oats. As the weather turns crisp and leaves fall, there’s no better way to start your day than with a warm and delicious breakfast.
This recipe combines oats, apples and pumpkin for a hearty, flavourful dish that celebrates the season. Whether you’re an oatmeal fan or just looking for a tasty, fall-inspired breakfast, these baked oats are the perfect choice.
Yield: 9 servings | Preparation: 10 minutes | Total time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
Instructions
Adapted from https://www.bucketlisttummy.com/apple-pumpkin-pie-oatmeal/
Menemen
Tuck into a delicious bowl of menemen, a traditional dish of eggs scrambled in olive oil with tomato, green peppers and spices.
6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Adapted from https://www.themediterraneandish.com/menemen-recipe/
Ful Medames
Wake up to ful medames, an Egyptian stew made from fava beans and chickpeas, spiced to perfection and served with eggs or pita bread.
8 small servings
Ingredients
Preparation