Niagara Nutrition Partners has seen the number of students participating in its school food programs climb from 17,000 to 24,000 over the past two school years, putting increased pressure on resources and funding.
The new school year is beginning much like the last one ended for Niagara’s student meal programs, with food, equipment, and delivery expenses continuing to rise at alarming rates. Programs are becoming more expensive to maintain while student enrolment is growing at rates not seen before.
“It’s unprecedented times at the moment. We’re currently experiencing a perfect storm of obstacles that impact how we run our programs,” said Jessica Stephenson, program manager for Niagara Nutrition Partners. “We’re just trying to meet that increase in student population to make sure that all students have access to a healthy meal at all times.”
Niagara Nutrition Partners serves breakfast, lunch, and snacks to students at 201 schools across Niagara’s four school boards, with the goal of removing the stigma often attached to school meal programs. About 1,000 volunteers help deliver meals to more than 24,000 elementary and secondary school students each day. Although last year’s numbers are the most recent available, Stephenson expects participation to continue climbing as new students arrive.
“Breakfast programs focus on children specifically, but the impact ripples over to families, schools, and entire communities,” she said. “It’s open to all students at all times. No questions asked. If you say you’re hungry, you receive a healthy meal.”
Each of the organization’s six staff members is assigned to a specific region, ensuring that programs are tailored to each school’s demographics, needs, and volunteer capacity. All follow nutrition guidelines and receive training on safe food handling.
While Niagara Nutrition Partners has been serving students since 1998, the past few years have been the most challenging. The COVID-19 pandemic initially disrupted operations, and as schools returned to normal, many families continued to face hardships. Reliance on meal programs jumped sharply between 2021 and 2023, with an additional 7,000 students served.
Stephenson said the growth was greater than anticipated, fueled in part by new housing developments and an influx of asylum seekers and refugee families, particularly in Niagara Falls. More students than ever are arriving at school with unsuitable or no lunches.
“We’ve worked with schools to assess those needs and to make sure we’re filling in gaps where we can,” she said. “We’re doing everything we can to get the word out that we rely on community support to make these programs happen.”
Community Crew, a non-profit based in St. Catharines, is also addressing the need. It provides lunch to about 1,500 students in 30 schools located in areas with the highest levels of poverty. Fundraising manager Katy Herron said the organization serves approximately 4,500 lunches each week, including Halal, vegan, and gluten-free options, from its new lunch prep site at the Grantham Optimist Club.
While overall numbers remain similar to last year, Herron noted a growing demand for Halal meals, reflecting the region’s changing demographics. “We’re happy to be able to provide children who can participate in Halal lunches with meals they can enjoy,” she said.
Community Crew operates without government funding, relying entirely on donations from individuals and businesses. It currently has a waiting list of schools seeking support but lacks the resources to expand.
Niagara Nutrition Partners receives funding from the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, but the amount has not increased since 2014 despite inflation and population growth. Provincial funding covers only part of the cost, leaving the organization to rely on groups like United Way to help fill the gap.
By the end of last school year, some programs were forced to scale back, offering only an apple or granola bar to ensure that every student received something to eat. Stephenson said there are currently 10 schools with outstanding requests for support.
Canada is the only G7 nation without a national school food program. The School Food Coalition, which reports that food insecurity affects about 1.8 million children across the country, is advocating for a universal program to ensure all students have access to nutritious meals. Stephenson said she is hopeful that a petition for the program will be presented to the House this year, though it would require financial commitments from all provinces and territories.
“We have a lot of local MPs and MPPs on board as outspoken advocates,” she said. “It’s a non-partisan issue. Feeding kids should be something we are all dedicated to doing.”