Big break for Greenway breakfast program

Students at Greenway School will be enjoying breakfast daily thanks to a major funding commitment from Amazon and the Breakfast Club of Canada. 

The two community partners are providing nearly $1 million in funding to support a daily breakfast program at the school.

Classroom teachers at Greenway say that over 25 per cent of students come to school most days without having eaten breakfast. Greenway intends to feed 200 students every day with this new program, which started on May 3.

Inclusive Education Resource Teacher Leda Velychko initially looked for food grants for her classroom when she was a Grade 4 teacher in 2020. She applied for the Breakfast Club of Canada grant in September 2020, and they received approval in March 2022.

“We got a payment for this year, and this grant will be rolling over to next year. We have to keep track of numbers, and based on our numbers Breakfast Club of Canada will be giving us three cheques per year,” Velychko said.

On April 27, Greenway held a celebration event to kick off their new breakfast program. In attendance were Greenway teachers and administration, Amazon district representatives, Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman and Canadian Olympians Meaghan Mikkelson and Charles Hamelin.

“With the grant money, we are excited to get our kitchen equipped for the long-term success of this program. We’re excited to use the kitchen for family and community events,” said Greenway Principal Jolene Boult.

She added that a healthy breakfast was a great way to foster student success and learning.

“When students arrive at school, they aren’t listening to their stomachs growling. Breakfast is a great way to start their day. The students have predictability and kids thrive off of routine,” Boult said.

In Manitoba, the Breakfast Club of Canada serves 11,000 children across 60 schools. 

“A healthy breakfast plays an important role in the health and development of children. We know that through research, children perform better when they start their day in a healthy way. We are thrilled to bring this program to Greenway School,” said a Breakfast Club of Canada representative.

Mayor Brian Bowman expressed his praise about the program: “To provide this level of funding to a school program that will be a positive difference for families in the community is something we are grateful for.”