In one of their articles, UNICEF says, “Children need the right foods at the right time to grow and develop to their full potential.” When instilled from an early age, healthy eating habits lead to a healthier and more productive lifestyle. The risk of chronic diseases also decreases when the right amount of nutrition is provided to the body regularly. It’s safe to say that healthy and nutritious meals play an important role in each child’s growth.
Benefits of Healthy Food
Healthy food fuels the body and mind. Regular consumption of nutritious food is directly linked to more energy, better concentration, a healthy physique, proper physical and mental development in children, and overall well-being.
A healthy meal is important –
- To have stronger bones
- Develop a healthy eating habit
- Avoid eating junk or food with empty calories
- To go through an entire day’s activities
- For mental and physical well-being
Accessibility to Healthy Food
Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day. However, children from low-income and marginalized communities don’t usually receive proper healthy breakfasts/meals. Members of their families often have more than one job to make ends meet, and sometimes the health and nutrition of the kids get neglected. They also don’t have enough budget, resources, or time to prepare healthy breakfast/meals every day for their kids.
The Children’s Breakfast Clubs – Cause
At the Children’s Breakfast Clubs, we believe every child deserves a healthy and nutritious breakfast irrespective of where he/she comes from. We have been running this organization for more than 30 years with the sole purpose of providing nutritious meals to kids. We are a non-profit organization and we are associated with several schools and communities in the Ontario region to make sure that every child starts the day with a hot and healthy meal.
Currently, we serve over 5000 meals per week in 27 communities across Southern Ontario. We aim to offer more than just a hot breakfast. Children who are part of the breakfast clubs thrive in a stimulating and educational environment.
The Children’s Breakfast Clubs – Activities
First things first are offering nutritious meals to children from overlooked communities. Along with that, our organization does a lot more to help these children prosper in their lives. Sometimes some of us don’t get similar opportunities, chances, and privileges compared to others. We try to collect and provide as many resources to these children so they can have an equal stance in this world. Some of our most notable activities and programs are:-
- Black History Month Celebration in Ottawa
- Winter Coat Drive
- The Prom Project
- Sharing and Caring Christmas Gala
- Driving Program
The special part about these activities is that they need community involvement. We encourage individuals, local companies, multinational companies, and even local government bodies to take part in these programs and help in whatever way they can. When children come along for these programs, they develop a sense of togetherness and belonging. They learn about the act of kindness, the gift of sharing, and enjoyment in harmony.
The Children’s Breakfast Clubs – Strengths
For 30 years, we have successfully promoted this cause and implemented a change through our collaborative efforts. The strength of Children’s Breakfast Clubs lies in –
Our Volunteers: Volunteers at every Children’s Breakfast Club location act with diligence, kindness, and responsibility. They serve food to the kids and offer emotional support, friendly surroundings, and care. Our dedicated volunteers run our day-to-day activities and also make every event/program a success.
Our Promise: The whole and sole purpose of the organization is to offer healthy food and positive experiences to children in communities of need. We stay true to our promise by making sure that, for every dollar in donation, 87 cents go to feeding the kids. By keeping our administrative costs low and focusing only on feeding the kids, we ensure that our practice is ethical and trustworthy.
Our Partnerships: We are grateful to receive generous donations from corporate and government partnerships. Some donations go beyond the monetary value, as the companies and local government offices actively want to engage in the events/programs and offer their resources.
How can YOU add value?
Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. Today, we are helping one out of every 7 affected households in Ontario. We have had such an extensive impact and reach only because people have been kind enough to help and volunteer to their maximum capacity.
You can help us by promoting this cause and volunteering at the nearest TCBC. We can create a brighter and healthier future for the next generation together.
Anand thakkar