Feed the Meter campaign nourishes students with healthy food

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A popular community campaign serving hungry students free breakfast, lunch and snacks weekdays through the school year is once again on the holiday menu, says organizers.

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Following the launch of the annual Feed the Meter campaign now in its 14th year, downtown shoppers in Picton, Quinte West and Belleville are encouraged to donate their spare change in December to parking meters to offset the cost of the food initiative.

Municipalities will donate all money collected in meters from Dec. 1 to 31 to keep hungry students healthy and happy through nutritious meals.

In Trenton, shoppers can donate via donation boxes at local businesses.

The campaign is rolled out every year under the auspices of Food for Learning, a program organized by The Hastings and Prince Edward Learning Foundation, a charitable arm of the education board.

The cash offsets the Food for Learning program which receives funding from the Ministry of Community and Social Affairs yearly to ensure nutritious foods are made available to hungry students.

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Donations are money well spent given studies have established a link between students who are regularly eating nutritious meals a day and their corresponding scholarly performance in class.

“With the rising costs of food, there is no surprise that the costs to feed students while attending school has also seen a rise in prices. As families feel the pressure to feed everyone at home, relying on a Food for Learning program while attending school will provide relief to many. When you Feed The Meter, you will help feed local students,” said organizers in a press release.

“Children and youth in our community continue to experience hunger for a wide variety of reasons.  We know that when students participate in a Food for Learning program, they are engaged in their learning, experience a sense of belonging at school, and develop lifelong healthy eating habits.  Food for Learning can help improve the lives of students by providing food at school.”

For details, log on to www.hpefoodforlearning.ca

Donations to Feed the Meter can also be mailed to Food for Learning c/o The Hastings and Prince Edward Learning Foundation, 156 Ann Street, Belleville, Ont. K8N 3L3 — make cheques payable to The Hastings and Prince Edward Learning Foundation.