VOLUNTEERING AT YOUR KIDS SNACK PROGRAM

In a well-developed country like Canada, often we fail to realize what a wide-spread problem hunger still is. The truth is that there are many young Canadians who go hungry each and every day, and it’s our mission at the Grocery Foundation to work towards reaching hungry youth in Canada.

In a well-developed country like Canada, often we fail to realize what a wide-spread problem hunger still is. The truth is that there are many young Canadians who go hungry each and every day, and it’s our mission at the Grocery Foundation to work towards reaching hungry youth in Canada.

Many people just like you find themselves wondering how they can help hungry kids in their communities across Canada. One of the best ways that you can make a difference directly in your neighbourhood is by reaching out and volunteering at your child’s school snack program.

Volunteering is an excellent way to make a difference in the lives of people living close to you, while also connecting yourself with a valuable community of like-minded people. Volunteering gives you first-hand experience in seeing a change, as you help to bring food to the mouths of hungry kids.

Volunteers are the backbone of many of these snack programs in schools across Canada, as reliable volunteers save resources which can then be better used to further the program itself. Volunteering is good for your spirit, and helps to create positive change both within and beyond.

When you volunteer with your child’s school snack program, you will find a new love for your community, and a better understanding of the need within. It is your opportunity to give your time and energy back into the community, while learning about your own skills of organization and outreach. Not only are you helping hungry kids within the district, but you’re also encouraging your child’s involvement in volunteer projects when you lead by example. We all want to teach our kids to leave this world a little better than we found it, but it’s not something that happens by accident; positive change happens through the effort of one person at a time, and every volunteer shift makes a difference in the life of a hungry child.

Help Us Make Breakfast a Reality for a Hungry Child

Chasing dreams should be part of every child’s day. Going without breakfast shouldn’t be.

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We are so grateful to Canadians who support Toonies for Tummies during our annual store campaign and, year-round, online.

You may know on April 16th, the Federal Government confirmed plans to support student nutrition programs. Specifically, the budget has announced the creation of a National School Food Program, which will provide $1 billion over five years to Employment and Social Development Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, and Indigenous Services Canada, starting in 2024‑25.

You may wonder what does this government funding mean specific to the need and our efforts to fundraise?

Without a doubt, we continue to need your support. While many student nutrition program leaders are encouraged by the incremental government support, many have taken to the news and social media to confirm even with this support, funding gaps will persist.

The Grocery Foundation's Vision, that no Canadian child goes to school hungry, remains fully intact. Our work continues and remains vital to support hungry children through their school’s student nutrition program. There is no change whatsoever in our focus, our mission, or our reliance on your support.

The programs we help fund are universal in nature. That means all children who require a healthy meal have access. Those on the front lines of these programs affirm their positive impact and positive halo beyond the day’s nutrition, from attendance, behaviours to the school community and mental health. The programs you help fund also support foundational nutrition knowledge and social skill building, as many programs include mechanisms for student involvement in menu planning, food preparation and serving of food to peers.

Thank you for choosing to support hungry children in your community, nourishing their health, well-being, academic success while fostering their school community. With your continued support, we will continue to help dreams take flight and nourish over 3,000 programs and neighbourhoods, yours among them.