Too many children still going to school hungry, groups warn

Students eat lunch at an elementary school in this file image.(AP /Toby Talbot)

The Breakfast Club of Canada says too many children are starting their day without a proper meal, reporting one in three kids arrive at school hungry and nearly 2.5 million live with a food-insecure household.

"When a child has a proper breakfast every morning like many of their classmates, they feel like they belong and they feel like they are a part of the school community," said Paul Lethbridge with the Breakfast Club of Canada. “So there are so many positive outcomes ... Aside from just putting food in their belly.”

The challenge is evident in Barrie, with demand at the food bank surging. Executive director Karen Shuh said the organization is now supporting more than 7,600 individuals every month.

“We’ve seen increases of +13 per cent year over year,” Shuh said. “So that is concerning.”

With donations down from last year, meeting the need has become a struggle. Shuh said more than a quarter of clients are under the age of 18, making food access for schoolchildren a pressing concern.

Andrea Guzman, a local parent, said the food bank has been essential for her family.

“Coming here helps us to get our food, helps the kids for snacks for school, for extra curricular activities, so it’s great. I think this is amazing that we are able to come to the community and get the help that we need when we need it and the people here are great,” said Guzman.

The Barrie Food Bank also runs a School Fuel Program, providing snacks to students.

“We deliver healthy school snacks to 26 local Barrie schools supporting 7,144 children access to health snacks because we all know children can’t learn on an empty stomach,” added Shuh.

The food bank will hold an open house on Sat. Sept. 20 to showcase its work and encourage the community to continue donating.