Battleford Central School has created a simple program to ensure that no child there ever goes hungry.
Thanks to the school's lunch program, informal breakfasts, lunches and snacks are available to anyone who needs one on an emergency basis. Students are provided meals whether they forgot their lunch or their parents simply can't afford one, with a core group of 35 to 40 students needing lunches consistently.
Such a program, which is entering its third year, might be difficult to run and fund. But the school has found allies in Tim and Pat Hancock, owners of Tim's Super A, who currently donate all of its food.
Hancock first became involved through a contact at Battleford Central School. When approached, Hancock expressed enthusiasm for the idea, as it fit with his perceived role as a "community" grocery store. The school bought groceries for the meals, and submitted receipts to him several times a year. Since the program has started, Tim's Super A has underwritten its whole cost.
In the last year, the grocery store has expanded its community role, donating to another local school's program.
At first, St. Vital's vegetable program was subsidized. When the money dried up, the program's organizers went to Hancock, hoping for at least some funding. They were shocked, however, when Tim's Super A offered to pay for the whole program.
Though it is not on the same scale as the nutrition program at BCS, around 150 students receive vegetables and dip, and leftovers are donated to the food bank.
"Tim's Super A saved the program," explained Sandra Fiddler, the veggie program's co-ordinator. "It might not seem like much, but it makes a huge difference to our kids here."
