Food For Kids Celebrates Local Breakfast Programs
Written by admin, May 13, 2015
May 13, 2015 – Hundreds of Volunteers Who Served 2.2 Million Meals Last Year Recognized at Appreciation Social
Today more than 150 people gathered to celebrate Food for Kids breakfast and snack programs in local schools and to honour the incredible contributions of local volunteers who run this program throughout the community.
“This is a proud day for our entire community and the hundreds of volunteers, schools and sponsors who have kept young minds nourished for over 20 years,” said Chris McCarthy, outgoing Food for Kids Student Nutrition Program Coordinator. “Thanks to the high level of community involvement, Food For Kids has developed into an incredibly successful program that makes a real difference to local students.”
Food for Kids student nutrition programs are available to all students at 48 participating schools. Nutritious foods are prepared by and served by volunteers in a friendly, welcoming environment. Last school year, breakfast and snacks were made available to approximately 17,500 students, and almost 2.2 million meals were served.
“Kids arrive at school hungry for many reasons: long bus rides, rushed mornings resulting in skipped breakfasts, and sometimes, not enough food at home. Universal breakfast programs allow all students to enjoy a healthy breakfast, getting them ready for their busy day of learning ahead.” said Luisa Magalhaes, Public Health Nutritionist at Peterborough Public Health. “When children are well-nourished, there are noticeable improvements in student behaviour, attitude, attention span, concentration, academic achievements, and school attendance.”
Through the collaborative efforts and contributions of committed community members, the Food for Kids partnership has grown to 48 school breakfast programs and over one thousand volunteers who contribute an average of 900 hours every week to local programs.
Today’s Appreciation Social recognized the contributions and dedication of Food For Kids’ volunteers who generously contribute time to making student nutrition programs possible throughout Peterborough County and City.
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For further information, please contact:
Luisa Magalhaes
Public Health Nutritionist
Food For Kids Student Nutrition Program
Peterborough Public Health
705-743-1000, ext. 233
lmagalhaes@peterboroughpublichealth.ca