Kids in need at Cochrane’s middle and high schools will have more access to healthy food options, thanks to an infusion of cash into an education-based nutrition program by a locally-based charity.
Last week, the 100 Women Who Care Cochrane group chose to donate their quarterly collection of more than $8,000 to Rocky View Schools’ Food for Thought – an initiative that provides healthy breakfasts, snacks and more to students at area schools.
The not-for-profit organization is largely unfunded by the government and relies on volunteers, food banks, grants and charitable donations to help make it work.
“I’m just blown away by this,” said community partnership program coordinator Nikki Demyen of the donation. “We have a lot of schools that do have definite needs.”
Food for Thought was created eight years ago in Airdrie and has since become a staple in more than 35 division facilities – including providing daily breakfast and a supply of healthy snacks to students at Glenbow and Manachaban schools, with RancheView School coming on board for the first time this year.
About 60 students each day fuel up with foodstuffs at Glenbow, as well as another 40 to 55 at Manachaban. The program is also working with the Cochrane Activettes Food Bank to provide healthy eating options at Mitford School and Cochrane Christian Academy.
“There’s no questions asked. Simply, if you’re hungry, you eat,” said Demyen of the program, adding the enhancements to well-fed students’ well-being are palpable. “Realizing the benefits: focus, attention span, happiness, social, emotional and nutritional.”
Earlier this year, the province provided $141,000 to 46 Alberta school boards to help boost their nutrition resources – a welcome first-time government grant for Food for Thought.
But Demyen said guidelines stipulate the money must be used only for children in Kindergarten to Grade 6, which leaves growing students – many who still require healthy food to function well – going hungry.
“They migrate into the middle schools and there’s nothing. It just causes a real ache for everyone,” said Demyen, adding she hopes to use the unexpected donation of funds to build up their presence in Cochrane’s middle and high schools.
“Absolutely that’s where we would target,” she said. “None of these programs could operate and none of these programs would be feasible if there wasn’t people like this. It really is a layering of the community.”
Judy Samson, who co-founded the Cochrane chapter of 100 Women Who Care with friend Pauline Buckley, said it’s exciting for the group – which collects $100 every three months from each of its members and donates it to different group each time – to be able to give such a “huge chunk of money” in one go.
“It’s amazing how many people said, ‘Yeah, we want to be a part of it,’” Samson said. “It’s been such a success … It’s all just people getting together and making this happen … it’s a fascinating group. It’s been powerful.”
