The Food Sharing Project is a registered Canadian charity, incorporated in 1986 as a non-profit organization, (but our roots go back even further). The organization is governed by a volunteer board of directors and currently employs three full-time staff members, supported by many volunteers. Our mission is to provide nourishment for students to improve their readiness to learn.
As a community partner of the Ontario Student Nutrition Program, we provide nutritious food to all publically-funded schools across Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington, at no charge. The food is delivered right to the doors of each school every week of the school year. Schools use this food to operate a Student Nutrition Program that provides healthy food to any student, regardless of need, in a stigma-free, accessible environment supported by caring adults in a safe, supportive atmosphere.
Students who eat nutritious food are more engaged in their learning, can focus better on tasks, and have more positive social interactions.
Here are some articles and research that refers to impact of healthy nutrition at schools:
- https://www.healthyschoolfood.ca/why-it-matters
- https://www.macleans.ca/society/health/why-canada-needs-a-national-school-food-program/
- https://are.berkeley.edu/~mlanderson/pdf/school_lunch.pdf
- http://us.stop-hunger.org/files/live/sites/stophunger-us/files/HungerPdf/Impact%20of%20School%20Breakfast%20Study_tcm150-212606.pdf
Get To Know Us
- Who we are
- What we do
- Corporate Info
- News
Here are some articles and research that refers to impact of healthy nutrition at schools:
- https://www.healthyschoolfood.ca/why-it-matters
- https://www.macleans.ca/society/health/why-canada-needs-a-national-school-food-program/
- https://are.berkeley.edu/~mlanderson/pdf/school_lunch.pdf
- http://us.stop-hunger.org/files/live/sites/stophunger-us/files/HungerPdf/Impact%20of%20School%20Breakfast%20Study_tcm150-212606.pdf
We provide nourishment
- We offer a centralized source for food that meets Ontario’s Student Nutrition Program’s nutrition guidelines.
- We distribute over five tonnes of fresh food to schools every week through an efficient order and delivery system.
We serve all students
- Programs are offered in a way that is stigma-free by providing all students access to food.
- Based on the needs of their students and the availability of space and volunteers, schools choose from a variety of models, such as sit-down breakfasts, hearty snacks in classroom bins or grab-and-go lunches.
- The Food Sharing Project programs give students the opportunity to help with tasks, such as food preparation or distribution, which increases their knowledge of food skills and encourages kindness and empathy.
Our collective efforts improve students’ readiness to learn
- Students who eat nutritious food at school are more engaged in their learning, can focus better on tasks and can have more positive social interactions throughout the day.
- Research tells us that exposing students to a variety of nutritious food at school can increase their willingness to try something new, which can lead to better food choices as adults
Volunteers, donors and community partners are critical to our success
- We rely on and appreciate the work of volunteers who pack and deliver food to schools.
- Our in-school volunteers are teachers, educational assistants and community members who ensure nutrition guidelines are followed in a positive, nurturing environment.
- The Food Sharing Project is funded from a variety of sources including the Province of Ontario, national foundations, the United Way serving KFL&A, local foundations, and school boards and organizations.
- Every year individual and corporate donors generously provide over 20% of the funds we need which ensures that we can feed students every school day.
- Connections with our local community partners such as school boards, public health and local businesses allow us to have a greater impact by helping us to increase awareness and provide opportunities to improve the efficiency of our operation.
How we got here
It all started with a box of oranges…
In 1984, the Social Issues Committee of the United Church Presbytery investigated the issue of children in local schools who were showing signs of inadequate nutrition and the consequences on their learning. They discovered that three inner core schools were offering snacks courtesy of a teacher or donor, including an orange program that began in the 1970’s. The committee decided to create an organization to provide breakfast foods more widely in the school system to support students. In 1985, the Frontenac Food Sharing Project was incorporated and thus began the work of what is now The Food Sharing Project.
Fast forward to 2007: The Province of Ontario established a province-wide program to ensure all communities could offer healthy food at schools. The Ontario Student Nutrition Program provided important funding and support to agencies like The Food Sharing Project, who know served the City of Kingston, Frontenac County, and Lennox and Addington County. More schools began to offer in-school student nutrition programs, and The Food Sharing Project continued to provide more and more food, delivered right to the schools each week. In the 2018-19 school year (prior to the disruptive COVID-19 pandemic), the organization provided just over $400,000 in food, which provided for over half a million hearty snacks and meals served at schools across the region.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the first long-term school closure from March to June 2020, The Food Sharing Project quickly pivoted to providing boxes of healthy foods delivered bi-weekly to families of students who were now not able to take advantage of nutrition programs and food at school. School contacts referred families to receive food support; a small army of volunteers – including many from Rotary Clubs across Kingston – packed and delivered food to over 300 families each week on a bi-weekly schedule (a total of over 600 families, representing at least 1500 students).
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Fast forward to 2007: The Province of Ontario established a province-wide program to ensure all communities could offer healthy food at schools. The Ontario Student Nutrition Program provided important funding and support to agencies like The Food Sharing Project, who know served the City of Kingston, Frontenac County, and Lennox and Addington County. More schools began to offer in-school student nutrition programs, and The Food Sharing Project continued to provide more and more food, delivered right to the schools each week. In the 2018-19 school year (prior to the disruptive COVID-19 pandemic), the organization provided just over $400,000 in food, which provided for over half a million hearty snacks and meals served at schools across the region.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the first long-term school closure from March to June 2020, The Food Sharing Project quickly pivoted to providing boxes of healthy foods delivered bi-weekly to families of students who were now not able to take advantage of nutrition programs and food at school. School contacts referred families to receive food support; a small army of volunteers – including many from Rotary Clubs across Kingston – packed and delivered food to over 300 families each week on a bi-weekly schedule (a total of over 600 families, representing at least 1500 students).
Fast forward to 2007: The Province of Ontario established a province-wide program to ensure all communities could offer healthy food at schools. The Ontario Student Nutrition Program provided important funding and support to agencies like The Food Sharing Project, who know served the City of Kingston, Frontenac County, and Lennox and Addington County. More schools began to offer in-school student nutrition programs, and The Food Sharing Project continued to provide more and more food, delivered right to the schools each week. In the 2018-19 school year (prior to the disruptive COVID-19 pandemic), the organization provided just over $400,000 in food, which provided for over half a million hearty snacks and meals served at schools across the region.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the first long-term school closure from March to June 2020, The Food Sharing Project quickly pivoted to providing boxes of healthy foods delivered bi-weekly to families of students who were now not able to take advantage of nutrition programs and food at school. School contacts referred families to receive food support; a small army of volunteers – including many from Rotary Clubs across Kingston – packed and delivered food to over 300 families each week on a bi-weekly schedule (a total of over 600 families, representing at least 1500 students).
Learn More About Us
What We Do
The Food Sharing Project and local schools are partners in providing nutrition to students. Quite simply, The Food Sharing Project makes it possible for school nutrition program coordinators to order everything they need to provide healthy meal and snack programs at their school, every day, for any student, and then gets that food to the school, at no cost.
Corporate Info
The Food Sharing Project is a registered Canadian charity that is governed by a Board of Directors. Directors are selected based on their skills and lived experience, and include parents, teachers, principals, School Board Trustee representatives, and a representative from KFL&A Public Health.
News
Stay up to date on what’s happening at The Food Sharing Project by checking out our news updates. Visit us on Twitter for more.