Donations help provide breakfast to Vancouver Island children in need

Victoria -

The Breakfast Club of Canada says recent data shows nearly two million Canadian children are at risk of starting their day hungry.

To help those children, the non-profit supports more than 3,100 programs that serve up the most important meal of the day – breakfast – in schools and in community settings across the country. Through those programs it reaches 490,974 children each day.

There are 40 programs supported by the Breakfast Club of Canada on Vancouver Island. The charity says that another 30 schools on the island would benefit from such programs if funding was in place.

The Breakfast Club says it has seen an increase in need, with program attendance increasing during the pandemic and remaining high as the effects of COVID-19 linger.

“We believe that breakfast is what allows (kids) to foster academic success,” says Julianne Nyasulu programs coordinator for Breakfast Club of Canada.

“As a whole – and if we’re talking about future careers with kids – then having that springboard of academic success kind of gets them there in the future.”

The charity has launched its annual Back-to-School fundraising campaign and hopes to meet that increase in demand.

“This is a time of year that should excite students and families across the country, not leave them feeling concerned about their nutrition,” says Judith Barry, cofounder, director of impact and provincial and territorial government relations at Breakfast Club of Canada.

“We have a responsibility to come together to ensure that hunger does not prevent any child from learning and succeeding. It only takes $2 to provide a nutritious breakfast to a child in need. Any type of donation, big or small, can have a significant impact for youth across the country.”

Donations can be made online or by texting CLUB to 20222.