Halifax schools raising $1M for breakfast programs

Schools across the Halifax Regional School Board are trying to raise just over $1 million, in order tooffer 1.4million breakfasts to students this year.

The number of breakfasts needed has increased by about 200,000 meals or three new school breakfast programs in thelast year, board spokesman DougHadley said.

"We know absolutely that poverty provides one explanation," he said.

'No questions asked'

But more factors play into student hunger, for example, longbus rides, waking up late, having both parents working orwanting to go to school early for extra curricular activities, Hadley said.

"We don't ask them to prove that they're hungry," he said.

"We just, no questions asked, make sure they get something to eat."

HRSBreceives just under $400,000 from several sourcesfor breakfast programs, so schools must make up the rest, he said.Earlier this week staff at Halifax's Citadel High Schoolimplored parents to drop off food or grocery gift cards if they could. It costs about $1 per student per meal, Hadley said.

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Kids aren't eating

There are 101 schools in Halifax with breakfast programs.All schools in boards outside of Halifax have breakfast programs, Nourish Nova Scotia executive director Margo Riebe-Buttsaid.

The organization helps channel about $750,000in provincial funding to schools around Nova Scotia, andhelpsraise more money.

"Breakfast programs act as a springboard for other conversations about food and health in schools. We live in a really unhealthy food environment," Riebe-Butt said.

"The realityof it is, kids are coming to school without having eaten breakfast and that affects their learning."

'A societal shift'

She said she has seen "a societal shift," of busier families, which may explainthe increase of students needing breakfast.

"Parents are over scheduled. For the majority of families, both parents work in the household and then in single parent families, there's even more pressure," Riebe-Butt said.

"For families that suffer from food insecurity for many reasons, maybe they're just kind of living at the poverty line or making a living wage. Alleviating the need to buy breakfast foods in the home can make a difference for families."

Nourish Nova Scotia is advocating to the federal government, asking itconsider funding school breakfasts for health reasons, she said.