The Vision
Imagine being an eleven-year-old and going to school every morning on an empty stomach and no energy to learn. This is the reality for some unfortunate kids, who go to school every day with a hungry stomach. These kids belong to families who either are unable to provide a filling breakfast every morning for their kids or their parents are too busy with their jobs to look after their children’s needs. Either way this does not mean that any child should be going to school on an empty stomach. Children need proper nutrition to be able to learn and grow to their full potential.
This is exactly what ‘The Childrens Breakfast Club’ aims to do. Since 1984, The Children’s Breakfast Club has been pushing the idea of a healthy nutritious breakfast for these children, without discriminating between poor and rich. The idea is to feed children who need to get a meal every morning rather than just focusing on the poor. All children need equal nutrition, and no one should be left out.
How Does it Help?
Through participating in programs and engaging with different cultures, they develop their social skills, and stories of community life become shared stories of relief through the act of giving. As part of the development program, they learn new skills, and they play together and develop a positive attitude to diversity. Importantly, they also learn confidence and resilience. In addition to direct work with children, the clubs support community development by working in partnership with other organizations and local businesses. These partnerships help them increase their reach in terms of the impact they can have on other families and communities.
Resources, volunteers and networks can all be shared and scaled up. At the same time, the psychological support that the organization offers stands no less crucial to the healing journey, the cultivation of a child’s mental and emotional strength, hope, and a sense of one’s own power against adversity. The family ‘arrival’ scenario offers a glimpse into how the centre is a workshop where staff, volunteers and special guests open their arms and provide a sense of belonging and safety, filled with love and care to the children, giving them space to feel secure and safe.
Over the years the organization has been making sure that they not only incorporate these habits into the children but also teach them about the culture and being part of a community. The children are taught about all sorts of different occasions and celebrations through their events. Some of these events include the Asian heritage month event, the 2023 black history month trip to Ottawa, the 2023 backpack giveaway event and many more. These events give the children an opportunity to learn and explore different cultures and make them feel like a part of one big community.
The Children’s Breakfast Club has been persistent with their objective of providing social and intellectual stimulation to children and encouraging a healthy nutritious diet and behavioural and hygiene habits. Although the primary source of provision for the organization is through donations and charity, this does not mean that there is any sort of compromise in the quality of food and utilities provided to the children. No child must eat rotten, expired or rejected food. The organization ensures that all utilities gathered through donations are thoroughly checked and inspected to confirm they are good to use.
Where children have one less worry about their chances for success in life, The Children’s Breakfast Club feeds hope in the form of nutritious food, community, and enriched childhoods. For more than 32 years, The Children’s Breakfast Club has made a tangible difference in the lives of countless children in Southern Ontario. But they, like their pioneering counterparts, have only just started. With the burdens of poverty and food insecurity growing in our communities, the need for these services has never been greater. You can be part of the story of how this change happened.
What Can You Do?
Join our community – right now, a child somewhere is going without breakfast. Perhaps without just becoming an educated child, they could also become a healthy, well-cared-for child. Be updated on every program, event, upcoming opportunities, etc. by signing up for our mailing list. Let’s act and make a positive impact on these children’s lives, one child, one meal, and one community at a time. Please do become part of us. Subscribe to our mailing list and be part of our journey to ensure brighter futures for every child!
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