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Apple, Carrot and Raisin Muffins

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Mount Royal Collegiate: It Takes a Community

Saskatoon’s Mount Royal Collegiate offers a unique program where students, staff and community partners work together to provide, prepare and serve breakfast daily.

Mount Royal Collegiate in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, has a population of approximately 700 students in grades 9 to 12. The school offers a unique breakfast program, where students, staff and community partners work together to provide, prepare and serve breakfast daily. Students can eat from about 8:30 a.m. until the first period begins at 9:15 a.m. Breakfast is offered again after the first period (around 10 a.m.) to ensure that students who did not have an early class can still start the day with a nutritious meal.

Mount Royal offers a grab-and-go model that is served out of a small window located at the main entrance of the school. From an initial 80 breakfasts a day in spring of 2021, the school is now serving approximately 180 students daily!

The grab-and-go model offers a variety of foods. A typical morning breakfast includes a sandwich (with a halal option), fruits/vegetables, yogurt, milk and cereal. Students can choose to take one or all items with them as they pass by.

Student involvement

Mount Royal offers a specialized program known as Alternative Education Work Studies. This program prepares students to be workplace-ready. Students in this program help prepare meals and snacks for the school’s student nutrition programs. This gives them hands-on experience prepping and serving food and increases their job readiness.

Community partners

Mount Royal has developed strong partnerships with local suppliers. Through these partnerships, they receive regular donations to support student nutrition programs. A huge shout-out to our community partners, Federated Co-op and Thomas Fresh, for everything they do. Every week, Federated Co-op provides the school with yogurt, cheese, cereal, eggs, granola bars and produce, while Thomas Fresh delivers two cases of fresh fruit.

Celebrating Mount Royal’s champions

Every breakfast program has its champions and Mount Royal is no exception. Today, we would like to honour Jean, Rachelle and Kim, three members of our amazing team.

Here is what Mount Royal’s community school coordinator, Melinda Brown, had to say about them:

  • Jean has been part of student nutrition programs for more than five years. She is hands-on and serves meals to students daily, as it is an important way to make connections with them. She is the happy face that welcomes and greets them each day. She is an inspiration to students in helping them believe they can do it. Jean is a true champion of the breakfast program. Not only does she encourage students to participate in making the food, but she also gets their ideas on how to make items tastier and more attractive.
  • Rachelle has also been part of student nutrition programs for more than five years. She has an amazing, charismatic and magnetic personality. Her bright smile and friendly demeanour are what makes our students feel so comfortable and accepted at the breakfast program. Rachelle’s contributions to providing healthy nutrition to students is immeasurably valuable work. We have not thanked her enough. Her dedication is essential to what we do.
  • Kim started at Mount Royal late last year and has been supporting the student breakfast program ever since. She brings an exuberance and joy to the program that helps our students feel comfortable and confident choosing a meal, knowing that no judgement is being passed on anyone requiring our program support.

Thanks to Mount Royal for taking the time to tell us about their breakfast program. It is really inspiring to see how the community can come together to offer such a fantastic service.

Photo of Kim at the servery (taken during a visit in June 2022)

 

Photo of Jean – submitted for the Breakfast Champion nominations

Photo of Rachelle – submitted for the Breakfast Champion nominations

Serving a pancake breakfast as part of Welcome Week (fall 2022)

 

Délicouki Brings Nutrition and Fun to Breakfast Programs

 

For Breakfast Club of Canada, making sure 580,000 children get a healthy start to their day through school nutrition programs across the country is a top priority. BCC is fortunate to work with some very generous and engaged partners at the local level to make this happen. Délicouki is one of these partners.

They are the makers of snack foods inspired by traditional Quebec recipes. They pride themselves on combining great taste and great nutrition, with an irresistible variety of foods that tickle youngsters’ taste buds. Délicouki joined forces with BCC in 2017. They have learned the ins and outs of school nutrition in the years since, working with nutritionists to adjust their recipes in accordance with the Club’s guidelines. Today, they provide wholesome snack foods to 542 schools across Quebec, putting smiles on the faces of more than 79,000 children.

An indomitable spirit of innovation 

Adapting Délicouki’s products was no easy task. Preserving the texture was the key to making sure each snack remained fresh and good to eat for as long as possible.  

Innovation has always been one of the company’s core values, so they embraced the challenge of reformulating their products to help broaden children’s palates, using a wide range of healthy ingredients selected to appeal to appetites of all ages. It was also important to bear in mind children’s specific nutritional needs in the morning, which aren’t the same as, say, an adult getting ready for a hike. “Every province and every customer has their own set of requirements. We work hand in hand with each of them to come up with solutions that meet their nutritional specifications without compromising on taste and texture,” said Isabelle St-Amand, Chief Operating Officer. 

They were originally approached by the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal to make a date-based breakfast cookie. It wasn’t long until several other school service centres showed interest in Délicouki’s products as well. The company’s offering has since grown and diversified, with several new foods, flavours and formats. They became so busy, in fact, that they had to move into a bigger space to keep up with the growing demand for healthy, delicious snack items.  

“At Délicouki, we believe that the next generation is our hope for a fairer and more equitable future. Feeding children now means helping them to achieve their full potential. We share this vision with the Club. Nobody can learn on an empty stomach,” said Isabelle, before going on to describe the many advantages of serving a nutritionally balanced breakfast at school. “We know that there are lots of children in Quebec and across Canada who don’t get enough to eat in the morning. And the problem isn’t limited to inner cities or underprivileged families. The positive impacts of breakfast go beyond the students themselves to benefit entire school communities and society as a whole.” Délicouki firmly believes that food brings people together and breaks down barriers, and that snack time is when connections are made, friendships are formed, an intergenerational dialogue emerges and schoolyard conversations begin.  

Breakfast Club of Canada could not agree more. Claudine Dessureault, BCC’s National Senior Advisor, Purchasing and Inventory, said, “Ultimately, the reason we work with Délicouki is because it makes kids happy. Students love the yummy food they make, and we love their willingness to collaborate with us to develop special products for our organization. They’re also extremely reliable: they always deliver the quantities we need, when we need them. Clearly, this collaboration between Délicouki and Breakfast Club of Canada is a winning recipe.” 

And psst! We’ve got a bit of a scoop for you! Délicouki is currently developing on a brand-new flavour for the Club. Be sure to watch our updates to find out what it is!  

APPOINTMENT NOTICE – The Board of Directors of Breakfast Club of Canada Appoints New Board Member Celina Stoyles

 

Boucherville – November 18th, 2022 –  

Breakfast Club of Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of Celina Stoyles to its Board of Directors. Born in downtown St. John’s, Newfoundland, Celina Stoyles, comes with an impressive experience of management and leadership skills. She is the Executive Director of Kids Eat Smart Foundation Newfoundland & Labrador and is the Club’s first Board member at the community level. Her understanding of health and wellness in children and youth, along with her volunteer knowledge and her extensive 22 years of experience with non-profit board management assists Celina in the day-to-day management and operations of the 272 Kids Eat Smart Clubs in Newfoundland.  

Fundraising, events planning and non-profit management at all levels offer just a sample of the skills that Celina brings. She will play a key role as the Club continues to work towards its ultimate goal: breakfast for every child, every day. As is the second youngest of a family of 12 who likes cooking, she knows the importance for children to start the day with a healthy meal and have an equal chance to learn. 

Celina spent almost 25 years in the hospitality industry and has held senior management positions within the non-profit sector for over 12 years. She currently sits on the Board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Newfoundland and Labrador and holds a Certified Fund-Raising Executive designation. Her expertise and proven track record in the non-profit space will be a tremendous asset to Breakfast Club of Canada. 

To learn more about Breakfast Club of Canada’s current Board members: Board of Directors  

 

 

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 by Aliments du Québec 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. 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 Contact 

For more information, please contact: 

Julie Hauville 

Media Relations, Breakfast Club of Canada 

julie.hauville@breakfastclubcanada.org 

Kids putting hands together on the table

Director, Communications and Marketing

Breakfast Club of Canada is looking for a Director, Communications and Marketing, to contribute actively to the organization’s mission, engage the community in support of its work and help feed even more children across the country.

Reporting to the President and Chief Executive Officer, the incumbent will play a key strategic and operational role, leading various communications and marketing initiatives in collaboration with internal teams and external partners. In this capacity, they will specifically oversee BCC’s corporate communications, public campaigns, relational marketing and fundraising events.

Breakfast Club of Canada promotes employment equity and welcomes applications from all qualified individuals.

 

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Management and planning
  • Manage team members with an emphasis on collaboration, wellness and professional development.
  • Help develop, implement and achieve objectives consistent with the organization’s strategic planning goals and ensure team engagement.
  • Draw up the departmental action plan in collaboration with the team; ensure its implementation and oversee the delivery of priority projects.
  • Manage and control the departmental budget.
  • Identify KPIs for the team; help develop dashboards and produce post-campaign reports.
  • Liaise with external agencies.
  • Serve on BCC’s executive committee and risk management committee.

 

Communications and public relations
  • Develop and implement multiplatform communications plans aligned with the organization’s broader goals.
  • Provide advice to stakeholders across the organization with regard to preferred integrated communications solutions, in collaboration with the team.
  • Manage media relations.
  • Maintain and expand a Canada-wide network of ambassadors, in collaboration with the team.
  • Contribute to government affairs activities.
  • Help build the employer brand and implement employee engagement strategies, working closely with Human Resources.
  • Oversee the production of various types of content (key messages, activity reports, impact reports, social media posts, speeches, etc.).
  • Analyze the media monitoring results and the organization’s environment to constantly fine-tune BCC’s positioning and reputation.

 

Public campaigns
  • Supervise all public fundraising campaigns, including digital strategic planning and rollout.
  • Develop and deploy marketing strategies to promote donor retention and increase donation revenue.
  • Ensure a consistent donor experience across multiple touchpoints (social media, website, newsletters, etc.).
  • Oversee the rollout and implementation of campaigns designed to raise BCC’s Canada-wide profile and visibility.

 

Relational marketing
  • Supervise relational marketing strategies aimed at increasing donation revenue and the number of one-time and monthly donors.
  • Implement strategies to identify high-potential donors, working closely with the Philanthropy team.
  • Supervise the production of content for newsletters sent to individual and corporate subscribers.
  • Oversee direct marketing initiatives and strategies (mailout campaigns, etc.).
  • Ensure all content is aligned with the annual communications and marketing plans.
  • Oversee the implementation of segment-based automation strategies and engagement plans.

 

Events
  • Supervise the development and alignment of fundraising events (golf tournament, Déjeuner des Grands, Fat Bike Challenge, etc.).
  • Help secure event sponsors and reach out to potential partners, working with internal teams; oversee the preparation of sponsor visibility packages.
  • Develop and maintain positive, lasting relationships with partners and suppliers.
  • Identify opportunities to develop new fundraisers in markets across Canada.

 

SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS
  • Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing or a related discipline.
  • Ten years of experience in a role with similar responsibilities, including five or more years of team management experience.
  • Excellent command of written and spoken English and French.
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, SharePoint and other online collaboration tools.
  • Demonstrated experience in integrated marketing communications.
  • Proven relational marketing and digital marketing skills.
  • Strong writing and editing skills.
  • Familiarity with philanthropy and best practices in the charitable sector.

 

PERSONAL QUALITIES
  • Commitment to Breakfast Club of Canada values.
  • Engaged leadership style with a focus on team empowerment.
  • Strong listening and empathy skills.
  • Political acumen and ability to articulate, channel and champion ideas.
  • Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders at multiple levels.
  • Creativity and strategic thinking skills.
  • Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities at once.
  • Ability to meet tight deadlines.

 

WORK CONDITIONS
  • Permanent, full-time position
  • 40 hours/week, Monday to Friday
  • Flexible hours
  • Summer hours
  • Competitive salary
  • Vacation and personal leave days
  • Paid day off on your birthday
  • Group insurance plan
  • Group RRSP with matching employer contributions
  • Employee assistance program
  • Employee recognition program
  • Employee health and wellness program
  • Professional development
  • The successful candidate will be based at the head office in Boucherville, Quebec, with a hybrid telework arrangement
  • Target start date: As soon as possible

 

 

TO APPLY

Please email your résumé and cover letter to CV@breakfastclubcanada.org.

Only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview.