Every Breakfast Counts launches 2019 programming
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
The Every Breakfast Counts committee is pleased to announce that 2019 summer programming will begin on July 2 and run for nine weeks.
Nutritious food will be distributed free of charge through Best for Kids programming at the Greco and Manzo pools and Kids Being Kids programming at Sault Ste. Marie District Social Services community hubs. New this year, the Sault Ste. Marie District Social Services and Child Care Algoma EarlyON Mobile Unit mobile unit will be travelling to select locations throughout the community to provide meals.
“From its launch to implementation, Every Breakfast Counts has been a team effort,” said Mayor Christian Provenzano. “Committee members have worked together to raise funds and develop a program, and the community at-large supported our efforts by providing generous financial contributions. Our collaboration is helping improve our community by ensuring local children don’t go without a nutritious meal to start the day.”
People are encouraged to follow Every Breakfast Counts on social media (
Facebook,
Twitter and
Instagram) at @EBCSSM for up-to-date information about programming.
“The importance of ensuring children have access to nutritious meals cannot be overstated,” said Mike Nadeau, Sault Ste. Marie District Social Services CAO. “Through a community based program that is focused on making it as easy as possible for youth to access the meals, I am confident we will continue to positively impact more youth moving forward.”
United Way Harvest Algoma will be organizing the delivery of food to locations across the community. Produce will be housed at the Harvest Algoma Food Resource Centre, and transported to locations included in Every Breakfast Counts through the United Way Harvest Algoma’s Food Rescue program.
"Every Breakfast Counts helps advance Harvest Algoma’s efforts to address food insecurity in Sault Ste. Marie,” said Mike Delfre, United Way Harvest Algoma Director of Operations. “The resource centre serves as a hub with staff and volunteers acting as facilitators who receive, process, store and distribute food to organizations throughout our community.”
Background
Every Breakfast Counts was conceptualized in the spring of 2018 as a means to address a service gap in the community by providing meals to youth who rely on breakfast programming offered during the school year. $50,723 was raised in only a few weeks; supporting the program’s operation for at least the summer of 2018 and the summer of 2019. In 2018, 1,779 meals were provided over seven weeks (the cost of groceries was aided by a voucher program accessed by Algoma Family Services).
Fundraising and ongoing coordination is facilitated by the Every Breakfast Counts committee, comprised of the City of Sault Ste. Marie, Mayor’s Office, Sault Ste. Marie District Social Services, United Way Harvest Algoma, Algoma Family Services, Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, Child Care Algoma and EarlyON Child and Family Centre.