2018 Campaign Donations hard at work. Check it out!

For some the 2018/2019 school year has meant the beginning of their ‘school years’, for others a return to a familiar place, albeit in a new grade, and for others, a transition year either from elementary into secondary school or a last year in high school as they look to a future in post secondary.

It’s hard to believe kids have been back at school for over a month!

For some the 2018/2019 school year has meant the beginning of their ‘school years’, for others a return to a familiar place, albeit in a new grade, and for others, a transition year either from elementary into secondary school or a last year in high school as they look to a future in post secondary.

All of these milestones are critical for our children. They grow as people, are challenged to open their minds to new concepts and opportunities and continue on their individual paths in pursuit of their dreams and ambitions.

We may only know a handful of youngsters – our children’s friends and classmates, the kids they play sports with or those we may see in our neighbourhoods: riding their bikes or perhaps heading to and from school. One thing is for certain, we all know how important it is that they go to school well nourished.

We’re pleased to share with you the results of our 2018 campaign donations which are now hard at work benefitting hundreds of thousands of school-aged children in Ontario, and in Western Canada. Each day student nutrition programs, supported by volunteers and those dedicated to helping children succeed are hard at work. They are able to offer nutritious breakfasts and mid-morning meals because of the kindness and generosity of shoppers who visit our retailer partners and donate to #Toonies4Tummies. This program, which is supported by our sponsor brands and by the stores where you shop and donate is a vital source of funding for our student nutrition partners, Student Nutrition Ontario and Breakfast Club of Canada.

We are also indebted to all of them for their role in bringing Toonies to Tummies and its impact to life.

We like to say we are nourishing neighbourhoods, the reality is we are doing that and so much more.

Check out the donations benefitting programs in Ontario and across Western Canada. The donations are based on 100% of funds collected being donated back to local programs. We’re also pleased to report that this year’s campaign helped fund some programs that had been on a wait list, AND helped some new programs get funding for the first time. How cool is that!

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Chasing dreams should be part of every child’s day. Going without breakfast shouldn’t be.

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We are so grateful to Canadians who support Toonies for Tummies during our annual store campaign and, year-round, online.

You may know on April 16th, the Federal Government confirmed plans to support student nutrition programs. Specifically, the budget has announced the creation of a National School Food Program, which will provide $1 billion over five years to Employment and Social Development Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, and Indigenous Services Canada, starting in 2024‑25.

You may wonder what does this government funding mean specific to the need and our efforts to fundraise?

Without a doubt, we continue to need your support. While many student nutrition program leaders are encouraged by the incremental government support, many have taken to the news and social media to confirm even with this support, funding gaps will persist.

The Grocery Foundation's Vision, that no Canadian child goes to school hungry, remains fully intact. Our work continues and remains vital to support hungry children through their school’s student nutrition program. There is no change whatsoever in our focus, our mission, or our reliance on your support.

The programs we help fund are universal in nature. That means all children who require a healthy meal have access. Those on the front lines of these programs affirm their positive impact and positive halo beyond the day’s nutrition, from attendance, behaviours to the school community and mental health. The programs you help fund also support foundational nutrition knowledge and social skill building, as many programs include mechanisms for student involvement in menu planning, food preparation and serving of food to peers.

Thank you for choosing to support hungry children in your community, nourishing their health, well-being, academic success while fostering their school community. With your continued support, we will continue to help dreams take flight and nourish over 3,000 programs and neighbourhoods, yours among them.