Back-to-School: More Children than Ever Need Access to School Nutrition Programs

BOUCHERVILLE, QC, Aug. 22, 2023 – Today, Breakfast Club of Canada is launching its important Back-to-School fundraising campaign to be able to meet the ever-growing demand for school nutrition programs.

Once again this year, the Club and its numerous partners will reach hundreds of thousands of children from coast-to-coast-to-coast and help them start their day with a complete and nutritious breakfast. A commitment that is all the more necessary as the current socio-economic situation is increasing the needs in the community as well as the cost of food and transportation that continues to rise. In recent years, the Club has seen a significant increase in schools across Canada requesting support for a complete school nutrition program. The number of requests to implement a breakfast program is constantly growing.

Furthermore, according to the most recent data from Statistics Canada, in 2022, 1.8 million children, compared to 1,4 million children in 2021, live in a food insecure household.

“At Breakfast Club of Canada, we are committed to our role as a national player in the school nutrition ecosystem across Canada, and we approach it each year with renewed ambition,” stated Tommy Kulczyk, President and Chief Executive Officer at Breakfast Club of Canada. “Our Back-to-School fundraising initiatives are crucial as we are currently experiencing a perfect storm of obstacles making the number of schools wanting to provide nutritious breakfasts to their students increase each day.”

Throughout the upcoming year, the Club’s budget will only allow for the maintenance of existing programs with very few new programs in schools that will be put in place. Without the help of generous donors, partners and governments, the number of schools requesting support from the Club continues to grow.

“Our message is simple: as you prepare for the start of the school year, we ask that you take a minute to think about the children who will go to school hungry. We hope that a donation at the start of the school year becomes the simplest and most natural gesture of the back-to-school ritual. Indeed, providing breakfast at school is the easiest way to help all children reach their full potential,” explains Judith Barry, Co-Founder and Director, Government Relations at Breakfast Club of Canada.

Numerous Impacts of a Nutritious Breakfast

School nutrition programs are recognized for their many beneficial impacts on children, school environments and local communities. Members and partners of various initiatives, including the School Meals Coalition and the World Food Program run by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, state that these programs, including breakfast programs, contribute positively to the education, health and well-being of children, as well as to economic development and to community food systems.

In fact, more than 900 schools recently reported to the Club that the most significant impacts they have observed through their programs include improving learning capacities and/or academic achievement (31.4%)*, meeting students’ basic need for food and/or reducing hunger (22.8%)*, ensuring students have reliable access to nutritious/varied meals/food (21.8%)*, building a positive school climate, positive relationships/interactions and/or a sense of community and belonging (19.7%)*, improved mental health, well-being, mood and/or behaviour (12.3%)* and providing a safe, inclusive and destigmatized environment (12.1%)*.

“Every day we see the real impact a nutritious breakfast can have on a child’s life,” says Judith Barry. “Never before has investing in school nutrition programs been so critical. It is for these reasons that we count on the support of individuals, our partners and governments to help children because success tomorrow starts with a breakfast today.”

The Back-to-School campaign, Breakfast Club of Canada’s largest fundraising campaign, will run until September 30, 2023. To donate online: visit www.breakfastclubcanada.org/bts2023/. To make a donation via text message: text CLUB to 20222.

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 children in every province and territory across the country. To learn more, visit breakfastclubcanada.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

*Percentage of schools that reported this positive impact as the most significant.

For further information: Eric Aach, eaach@national.ca, 514 569-3594