Children at a Coquitlam middle school will get access to a healthy breakfast every morning sponsored by the Breakfast Club of Canada.
On Wednesday, the national program with funding from Minute Maid and Coca Cola announced the new partnership with Maillard middle by holding a free breakfast for about 120 people. A local company, Moore and Russell Heating, will also contribute funding for the breakfast club, which will be able to provide a nutritious breakfast for up to to 60 students a day.
Maillard principal Mark Clay said the school has one of the highest proportions of vulnerable students in the district and providing breakfast will build community and keep kids in school and learning.
"Anyone who needs breakfast can have one. We do have a sign-in, to see how many kids are participating," said Clay, who explained the program will run for the remainder of this year and next year, with the possibility of renewal after that.
The school offers breakfast and after-school programs to students as part of a focus to create more engaging programs for vulnerable students. The so-called hub, one of three in the district, is now being reorganized but Clay said the breakfast will still be served, even though the school will likely have to lose one of its youth workers.
YOUTH WORKERS SERVE FOOD
The loss of three youth workers who provide morning programs at schools with hubs was a concern at Tuesday's board of education meeting. Youth worker supervisor Niki Cooke said she didn't know how schools could continue to support vulnerable students when youth workers providing early morning breakfast programs were let go as part of district budget cutting.
Noting that one worker covers the morning hours and the other works into the early evening, Cooke said removing one will limit the school's ability to provide connections with students and their families.
Clay said while the cut of a youth worker, if approved in the budget, will provide challenges, he is confident the breakfast club program can go ahead.
"We've got the grant funding now were going to make it work," said Clay, and noting that the breakfast funding will help the school stretch its food budget further to provide healthy lunch and afternoon snacks to students who need them.
Five other schools in SD43 have breakfast clubs for students,Alderson, Central, Pitt River, Maple Creek and Terry Fox secondary.
