Education Minister Adriana LaGrange with grade one students at St. Jerome school. (Government of Alberta)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

financial boost

School nutrition program to continue, sees funding boost

Nov 28, 2019 | 2:48 PM

The provincial school nutrition program will benefit from an increase in government spending this year.

The Government of Alberta announced on Thursday that it is boosting the program’s budget by $3 million, or 20 per cent, to enable non-profits to enact new pilot programs with school divisions.

“We know good nutrition has a positive impact on student learning,” says Education Minister Adriana LaGrange. “That’s why we are looking to improve the efficiency of the school nutrition program by tapping into non-profit organizations that are knowledgeable, innovative and best positioned to address documented challenges such as program coordination, staffing, food procurement and food quality.”

In Red Deer, 35 schools are delivered 1900 lunches every week by The Mustard Seed.

“Our vision is to eliminate homelessness and reduce poverty where we serve. One of the ways we do this is by providing 380 lunches each school day which contributes to food security and nutrition for our most vulnerable students,” says Managing Director Byron Bradley.

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“Unfortunately, many of our most vulnerable students today come to school hungry, and we know that they cannot comprehend and learn without proper nutrition. The School Lunch Program at The Mustard Seed is a valuable asset to our most vulnerable families, which is made possible by generous support from the community and the school nutrition program.”

Approximately 35,000 students continue to received a daily nutritious meal through the provincial program.Non-profits interested in applying for the grant can submit a proposal to Alberta Education.

The school nutrition program was created in 2016. Last summer, it appeared the program’s funding may be cut, but the newly elected UCP ultimately decided to maintain its $15.5 million budget.

In each of the last two years, Fairview Elementary received $150,000 from the program. It is also utilized at Red Deer’s Normandeau Elementary and St. Teresa of Avila School, as well as St. Gregory the Great Catholic School in Blackfalds.

(With file from Government of Alberta media release)