As thousands of students are heading back to class, a harsh reality emerges: Breakfast Club of Canada, the country’s largest school food provider, is witnessing a record number of children attending supported breakfast programs. Indeed, at least one in three children in the country affirm arriving at school feeling hungry almost every day.1 Faced with this reality, the organization is launching a fundraising campaign and calling on Canadians to join the solidarity movement to feed children.
In a context of rising food insecurity, soaring food prices, increased cost of living and the burden of tariffs, families across Canada are facing impossible choices which directly impact the well-being of children and their capacity to learn. Today, nearly 2.5 million children2 live in a food-insecure household, which represents a third of the children in the country. This is an alarming increase of nearly 20% in just one year.3 Despite recent commitments by governments, this surge is putting immense pressure on school and nonprofit organizations, such as the Club, which are being called upon more than ever.
“Behind these numbers lies immense potential: talents, voices and dreams at risk due to a lack of access to nutritious food. Breakfast programs are not a universal solution to today’s challenges, but they remain a beneficial intervention for thousands of students throughout the school year,” says Tommy Kulczyk, President and CEO of Breakfast Club of Canada. “Every child deserves an equal chance to succeed, no matter their circumstances,” he adds.
