Food focus at Dr. Brass School

The Assiniboine Food Security Alliance (AFSA) and Dr. Brass School in the city are teaming up on a pair of projects related to food security and youth.

The first of the projects is a backpack breakfast initiative at the school.

Warren Crossman, chair of AFSA said the first idea came to him one day while surfing around the Internet. He said he came across a backpack program which looked to help feed students in need over weekends.

Schools, such as Dr. Brass, are prepared to deal with supplying breakfast to kids, but what happens on the weekend when the school is not open, questioned Crossman.

Crossman called Dr. Brass principal Jason Gordon.

"Jason said there is a need," said Crossman, adding AFSA was ready to step up and see what can be done.

Starting in May and going until the end of the current school year AFSA is working with the school on what Crossman termed a modest trial program.

Gordon said the school has a Breakfast For Learning Program and a school lunch program in partnership with community partners such as Soup Have, the Lions Club, and Yorkton & District Labour Council.

"We're pretty good Monday to Friday with programs in school but what happens Saturday and Sunday?" he said, adding the AFSA initiative is a good way to ensure good food on weekends.

While starting with only a few families, Gordon added, "There are probably 20 families that would benefit from being involved in some sort of project."

As it is, the initial families were "very receptive and thankful that people in the community are thinking about them, and not just in school hours."

Through the program AFSA is supplying food which is put into a back pack at the school, and sent home for the weekend. Crossman said they concentrate on foods which are easily made at home, hot cereals, soup, fruit cups, and similar items. Local businesses have been supportive in supplying food for the trial, he added.

"They are nutritious foods, but don't require a lot of preparation," he said.

While working with Dr. Brass School Crossman also enquired whether they would be interested "in a very small garden," at the school.

Again Gordon was quickly interested.

"He (Gordon) selected a little piece of property on the south side of the school," said Crossman.

The City cooperated in having crew till the grass, and Crossman said AFSA will work with Dr. Brass students to plant a few vegetables. He said it is a way of starting to forge connections between youth and the food they eat.

Gordon said the idea of a school garden was something "talked about around the school since I've been here the last four years."

But there were concerns over possible vandalization and summer care, so it never got started.

"We seemed to find every barrier to not get it started," he said, adding the AFSA interest finally got it off the ground.

Gordon said a hands-on garden is a great way to get young students involved in planting, caring for and harvesting their own food, food which they can then prepare in the school's kitchen.