One Million Donation Helps Close Widening School Nutrition Funding Gap
Toronto, October 25, 2011 – One in six children in the province live below the poverty line and far too many of them wake without certainty of their next meal. Today, The Grocery Foundation, an Ontario-based not-for-profit representing the province’s grocery industry, announced a $1 million donation to Breakfast for Learning (BFL), Canada’s leading child nutrition charity. The grant will provide for over 448,594 meals per week and will help school communities fund equipment needs. The Foundation has also made an additional $500,000 investment for capital equipment.   Nearly 140,000 Ontario children from 392 schools in 132 cities will benefit from this donation according to the partners. The Grocery Foundation donation represents 34 per cent of the total number of schools across the province which will be funded by Breakfast for Learning in 2011 school year.

“Despite their best efforts, food scarcity is a reality for many families across the province. And, the gap in funding is growing,” says Wendy Wong, President and CEO, Breakfast for Learning. “While there are many novel initiatives underway to help address the underlying issue in the long-term, we have an urgent immediate need. In some cities, this grant will cover more than 50% of the necessary funding for meals served in child nutrition programs...