Saija Paakki, President of the Sault Insurance Brokers Association (SIRA) was on hand at Tuesday night’s Board meeting to make a significant financial contribution to Algoma District School Board’s (ADSB) Breakfast Programs. The cheque, in the amount of $2000 will go a long way to help ADSB schools offer healthy breakfast items throughout the district.
This is the sixth year that SIRA has made this donation to the Board, and Director Reece thanked the Association for its on-going support.
Superintendent Brenda O’Neill went on to provide an update on the Board’s nutrition programs. Currently we have 46 Nutrition Programs being offered in our schools. Many of our schools (34) offer either a breakfast program or a morning meal. Many of our schools are part of the Northern Ontario Fruit and Vegetable program established by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MHLTC). Through this program approximately 12,000 children in 60 elementary schools in the Porcupine and Algoma District are receiving two servings of fruit and vegetables each week.
Private donations, like the one from SIRA are so important for the on-going success of nutrition programs. Funding throughout the district comes from other sources including Algoma Family Services (who fund the Student Nutrition Program) and Algoma Public Health who coordinate the MHLTC Fruit and Vegetable program.
Schools always ensure that food is available or distributed in ways to ensure no students feel stigmatized. Many schools have exceptional assistance from parent/grandparent volunteers, school councils, student helpers and staff volunteers. These individuals are often the ones either doing the shopping for food or picking up, unpacking, sorting, storing and delivering the food on any given day.
