The Food & Friends Program brings healthy food to hungry minds. Breakfast, morning meal, snack and lunch programs offered throughout Dufferin, Wellington County and Guelph agencies and schools, provide an atmosphere of social inclusion amongst students who may otherwise feel marginalized. Students have decreased disruptive behaviours in the classroom, learn healthy eating habits and build strong social skills.
Why Do We Exist?
Many children go to school unprepared to learn. They have not had the right nourishment, which makes it difficult to focus. Numerous studies have shown that children who are hungry do not perform as well as others in school. Our programs help children reach their potential.
We support vulnerable children and youth by:
- Applying for grants on behalf of student nutrition programs
- Ensuring criteria and reporting requirements for grants are fulfilled as programs are delivered
- Assisting individual programs with their local fundraising efforts
- Recruiting and training volunteers to ensure appropriate food menu planning and safe food handling
- Providing continuity and assistance in the administration of programs
- Organizing forums to promote best practices to enable continuous improvement
- Maintaining quality assurance regarding guidelines and standards recommended by the ministry and national charities that provide funding for school-based nutrition programs
How we make a difference:
- Provide children and youth with a positive start to the day
- Improve their learning abilities
- Decrease disruptive behaviours in the classroom
- Encourage positive social skills
- Teach children and youth healthy eating habits
2019 Facts & Information
102 Student Nutrition Programs served 20,500 students 2,775,000 meals
835 adults and 975 students volunteered 8,470 hours of their time to support Food & Friends programs.
$1.45 provides an elementary school meal (breakfast, morning meal, lunch) and $0.90 provides a healthy snack.