RVS breakfast program receives $5,500
A donation to the Food for Thought program in Rocky View Schools (RVS) by the RCMP and Kraft has left organizers feeling satisfied.
“We rely a lot on partnerships with food banks and donations,” said Dave Morris, associate superintendent of learning for RVS. “There’s not a lot of cash that goes through.”
Morris said the $5,500 donation, given on June 14, will take pressure off of volunteers to find contributions to the program that provides students of RVS with breakfast.
“That’s a big amount of money for that program,” he said. “It relieves that urgency.”
The program survives off of local partnerships including COBS Bakery; Costco; M&M Meat Shops; Direct Energy and the Airdrie, Chestermere and Cochrane food banks.
“It just means that (the money) doesn’t have to go as far as it did in other times,” Morris said.
RVS was recently presented with its first cheque by the RCMP Foundation of $1,000 for May and June.
Funding will resume in September for the school year on a monthly basis of $500 until May 2013.
“This was a new initiative we started this year with Kraft Foods Canada,” said Kelly Ledingham, marketing coordinator for the RCMP Foundation.
The RCMP Foundation funds various programs for youth at risk throughout Canada, and this year, Kraft partnered with them.
“They gave us $50,000. We received a total of 32 applications. Over $160,000 was asked from all of them. We were able to fund 15 of them with what we had from Kraft,” Ledingham said.
She said the foundation reviewed the applications and thought Food for Thought was a worthy cause.
“All the data shows that students that start their day with good nutrition affects their overall performance in studies and in learning and growing,” Ledingham said. “We are happy we are able to contribute. There is obviously a great need out there.”
Morris said the funding and program are important for RVS students.
“It makes sure they get off to a good start every day,” he said.
“Going into the start of a new school year, it’s just great.”
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