Craig MacPherson, RC Burlington North:  Great news... collectively, with coordination from our District’s Community Indigenous Resource Committee for Learning & Education (CIRCLE), 12 Clubs from Rotary District 7080 have donated enough funds in support of the First Nations School Breakfast Program (FNSBP) to receive a maximum matching grant from Rotary District 7080. With this matching grant, Rotary Clubs of District 7080 are proud to contribute a total of $12,800 to support this incredible program.

 

First Nations children suffer the greatest levels of poverty among all children in Canada. 1 in 3 First Nations children live in poverty as compared to 1 in 9 Canadian children on average.  In remote communities, this number is often higher. Children are unable to consistently access nutritious and adequate amounts of food necessary for a healthy life.

 

ONEXONE Foundation started the FNSBP in 2007 and was joined in 2008 by Pepsi Canada who donates Dole 100% Juice, Quaker Oatmeal, and Quaker Ready-to-Eat instant cereal (Multigrain Life, Corn Bran Squares and Oat Squares) for the program.  In the 2014-2015 school year, the program supported over 4,500 children from schools across Canada.  This means that ONEXONE and its First Nations partners served over 600,000 balanced breakfasts that year.

 

From the 30 communities in the FNSBP, we have chosen to sponsor the Keewaytinook Internet High School community.  It is a unique, internet-connected community in this program, comprised of six satellite classrooms in communities that are not large enough to have their own high schools.

 

One aspect that is key in any Rotary project is that when we are gone, programs are sustainable.  Programs within the FNSBP are managed and implemented at the local level.  ONEXONE provides training to community partners to ensure that these programs keep going.  Participating clubs are the Rotary Clubs of Burlington, Burlington Central, Burlington North, Erin, Guelph Trillium, Mississauga Credit Valley, Mississauga Meadowvale, Oakville West, Orangeville, Orangeville Highlands, Palgrave and Shelburne.