Board of Directors

A Community of Shared Commitment

The many achievements of The Grocery Foundation reach far beyond any one individual. Instead our impact has been made possible by a community of grocery retail companies, food, beverage and consumer goods companies, their leaders and teams of associates who agree student nutrition is a vital part of a vibrant nation.

The shared vision and commitment of our 2023/2024 Board of Directors continue to guide our 45-year history of helping Canadian children in need.

Joe Fusco

Metro Ontario Inc.

Chair

Michael Medline

Sobeys Inc.

Past Chair

Tom Gunter

T.A.G Marketplace Consulting Inc

Vice Chair

Margaret Hudson

Burnbrae Farms Limited

Marie-Eve Royer

Canada Bread Company

Tom Shurrie

Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers

Paul Hogan

Conagra Brands

Dan Magliocco

Danone Canada

Tony Chow

Kellanova Canada Inc.

Mark Taylor

Lactalis Canada

Anthony Longo

Longo Brothers Fruit Market

Curtis Frank

Maple Leaf Foods

Karla Schlieper

Mondelez Canada Inc

Danielle Barran

Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee

John Carmichael

Nestlé Canada

Darrell Jones

Save-On-Foods

Brock Furlong

Stampede Meat Inc

Stacey Kravitz

UNFI

Carmela Serebryany

Upper Crust

Help Us Make Breakfast a Reality for a Hungry Child

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.