A boost from a New Brunswick organization will keep a local program for kids going for another year.
The Brewer Foundation, based in Fredericton is donating $7500 to the Riverview Boys and Girls Club, for their school breakfast program.
Executive Director Lynda Carey says it is very important that the kids get to eat every day from an academic perspective, but this program is so much more than that, “To see these children socialize and form new peer groups in something as easy as sitting down together, I really love seeing that.”
Carey says the breakfast program has been running for over 15 years at two local schools, West Riverview school and Riverview East.
She says it can benefit the kids in more ways than good nutrition, “Start everyday with a healthy breakfast. It teaches children great lifestyle skills. They are not only learning to eat breakfast right, but it becomes part of their lifestyle. As they grow into adults, this is something they are just dimply going to do because it is something they have been taught.”
The program provides breakfast to over 300 children a day.
“It supports not just the economically challenged, but it also helps families that have differing work schedules, single parent families, and parents coming home at that time. We see a number of children who are able to get a great start to their day,” Carey says.
A cheque for the $7500 dollars will be presented on Friday.
Carey says the funds will be used once the school year begins again in September.