As students and families prepare for a new school year filled with promise and excitement, Food4Kids Ontario is thrilled to announce a new Food4Kids program in the Muskoka region of Ontario. Starting in September, Food4Kids Muskoka will support children suffering from food insecurity in the Huntsville area and will receive healthy food bags to bring home for the weekends.
“Every Friday more than 50 children will receive a healthy bag of food that will be delivered to their school and tucked discreetly into the child’s own backpack,” says Sarah Thatcher, founder of Food4Kids Muskoka and board chair. “In each of the food bags, there are at least 12 to 15 food items that always contain 5 to 6 pieces of fruit and vegetables in addition to proteins, grains, milk and healthy snack items.”
Food4Kids Muskoka recognizes that the need for expansion is necessary as many families are suffering under the weight of the increased cost of living, especially for food. Food4Kids Muskoka is committed to expanding the program to more schools and students, as sustainable funds are received, to ensure the nourishment necessary for their physical, emotional, and academic well-being.
“This expansion is a testament to the dedication of volunteers and the incredible impact we’ve witnessed in other regions,” says Gayle Kabbash, executive director of Food4Kids Ontario. “As the program grows, it brings us closer to our vision of ensuring that no child should ever worry about where their next meal will come from.”
For more information, to volunteer and to make a donation, contact Sarah Thatcher at [email protected] or visit www.food4kidsmuskoka.ca. You can also follow Food4Kids Muskoka on Instagram and Facebook.
About Food4Kids
The Food4Kids program started in 2012 when a 10-year-old boy waited outside the locked doors of a school breakfast program. The program was to start at 8:15 and the child stood outside at 7:15 in the dark, in the cold and alone. He explained he had not had any food on the weekend and was hungry. Could he please have some food? This child inspired the launch of the program. Food4Kids Ontario has affiliated chapters in Guelph, Halton, Hamilton, Mississauga, Muskoka and Niagara, and collectively they feed more than 3,600 children every weekend for 52 weeks a year.
Don’t miss out on Doppler!
Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox three times per week!
Click here to support local news
Join the discussion: