They come for different reasons. Some are hungry because the fridge at home is bare. Some have a long bus ride or arrive at school early for practices. Some just don’t like to eat when they get up, or get up too late for a healthy breakfast before they have to be at the bus stop. Whatever their personal circumstances, every Huntsville High School student is welcome at the morning breakfast program.
It began 10 years ago at the urging of then-parent council chair, Nancy Samuell. “We needed to do something for the students that are coming to the school hungry. The idea is it’s open to everyone so there’s no stigma. We don’t want anyone to be hesitant to come here. We find if students have got something to eat, they are going to learn better.”
She and former HHS teacher Tara Smyth coordinated the program at first, learning as they went how to gather sponsors, donations and both community and student volunteers. The program is now about 30 volunteers strong, including several like Pam Reed and Christina Varkerti who have been there from almost the beginning, and Samuell who continues to volunteer although she no longer has a child at the school. “I’ve been doing this for 10 years and I intend to keep doing it. I enjoy interacting with the teenagers here because they’re great. I’d like to get the message out to more students – some come in the front door and have to rush to their classes (without breakfast).”
The breakfast is served outside the school’s teaching kitchen, room 208 on the second floor, every morning from just after 8:00 until classes begin and sees a steady stream of about 70 students per day dropping by to grab a bite to eat. Students can choose from toasted whole-wheat bagels with a variety of toppings and an assortment of other items like yogurt, fresh fruit, chocolate milk, and a daily special – egg wraps or nachos with salsa, for example – all of which meet the school board’s nutritional guidelines.
Nancy Samuell sets out breakfast for students
Funding for the program comes partially from Trillium Lakelands District School Board, with community groups and individual donors providing the rest. Community Living North Bay, which administers the Ontario Student Nutrition Program, Rotary Club of Huntsville, Rotary Club of Huntsville Lake of Bays, and Breakfast for Learning have all been strong supporters of the program, along with many other individuals and organizations over the past 10 years. Donations – financial or food – are always welcome, says Samuell, particularly for more expensive items like fresh fruit.
“We like to have apples, tangerines, watermelons, bananas, grapes, seasonal fruit,” says Samuell. “People can donate these things. If parents find their child is eating breakfast here and won’t eat it at home, they can send in a block of cheese, a bag of apples, a watermelon,” as can anyone else who wants to support the program. Donations of gift cards for local grocery stores are also welcome.
And the breakfast program has an ongoing need for volunteers as people naturally come and go. “Volunteering is easy,” says Samuell. You don’t have to be able to cook, you don’t need to have a child who is a student at the school, and the commitment is just about an hour once a week or every other week. Interested volunteers and donors can contact Steve Spiers, Hospitality and Tourism teacher at HHS at [email protected].
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What a good way for students to start their day. I’m a firm believer in breakfast. If you eat you are feeding the brain ..good volunteers ☺