Don’t let hunger get in their way! Make a difference in a Childs’s life.

Food Security in Canada

When Canada is perceived as a wealthy country and hunger is not an issue that we tend to associate it with. But on a daily basis, over 2 million Canadian children start school on an empty stomach. Because of Canada’s privileged situation, the stigma surrounding food insecurity is very real. A child heading to school without having eaten anything is often normalized, the Canadian fast-paced lifestyle being invoked. Whether that is the true reason is besides the point. To focus and perform activities throughout the day, children need a healthy meal to fuel their brains and bodies. This is why Breakfast Club of Canada’s programs are inclusive and open to everyone, no matter their socio-economical status, from coast to coast to coast.

Background

While research has shown that breakfast is the most important meal of the day (International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 2017), 1 in 3 Canadian children is at risk of going to school on an empty stomach. For 25 years, the Club has been serving breakfasts to children so they can reach their full potential, engaging the community to generate even greater impact for the families, the schools and the system as a whole, understanding that they too are directly or indirectly affected by the issue. Indeed, 75% of surveyed parents indicated a decrease of their stress levels since the enrolment of their children in a local club (HEC Montreal, 2018). Today, Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed more than 257,000 children and youth in 1,887 schools across the country daily, though the needs are far greater.

The good deed

Every day, Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed more than 257,000 children and youth in 1,887 local clubs based all over Canada. Starting the day with a nutritious breakfast ensures that Canadian youth can learn more efficiently and lead the next generation to achieve its greatest potential. With this good deed, we can feed more children so that they don’t go to school on an empty stomach. It’s also thanks to contributions such as this good deed that we can work hand in hand with the community, the volunteers, the schools and the partners, to evolve, adapt and develop solutions that address systemic issues, always with the vision of creating positive, long-lasting, socio-economic change by impacting education and children’s health.