Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows school children will not go hungry thanks to generous grant to food bank

The local food bank will be able to feed school children across the district in need of a meal during the next school year, thanks to a generous grant from the Breakfast Club of Canada.

Friends In Need Food Bank received $119,000, enough to fully cover their school meal and snack program for the 2022/23 school year.

“We were delightfully surprised when we received notification that our grant application had been approved – but became ecstatic when we discovered it was the full amount of the budget, “ exclaimed Mary Robson, the food bank’s executive director, noting that they only applied for $20,000.

Robson has seen the need for the program increase over the past two years – and combined with the rise in food costs, means they need even more money to run the program.

As of March, Friends In Need has been delivering in-school meals on a weekly basis to 19 schools in the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows school district – making sure no child starts their day on an empty stomach.

Korleen Carreras, chair of the SD42 school board, said they are “deeply grateful” for the services provided by the local food bank, noting how essential they are.

“We know the FIN meal program has had a significant and positive impact on our school communities, ensuring no children go hungry in our schools,” she added.

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Funding was provided through the Ministry of Agriculture Emergency Food Security Fund through the Breakfast Club of Canada.

The impacts of breakfast programs are not only huge for children, but also generate positive changes in school communities, said Samantha Ingham, program coordinator with the Breakfast Club.

“Sharing resources is the basis of community, this grant is an example that we can make a greater impact when we work together towards a common goal,” she said.

Breakfast Club of Canada reaches more than 500,000 children in over 3,000 programs in academic and community settings across the country.