Feeding free parking meters helps hungry students
Administrator | Dec 10, 2013 | Comments 0
Communities of Picton, Bancroft, Belleville, Stirling and Trenton will raise funds for student nutrition programs through community parking meters this holiday season.
Food for Learning’s ‘Feed the Meter‘ campaign raises funds for food that is served through school breakfast, snack and lunch programs.
Parking is free of charged this festive season in downtown Picton, Belleville and Trenton, however, visitors are invited to put their change in a parking meter, as a donation to Food for Learning. Campaign signs are posted on each parking meter.
The communities of Bancroft and Stirling do not have street side parking meters, however, virtual meters will allow residents to participate in the Feed the Meter campaign and support their local students. Temporary parking meters will be placed throughout the community, allowing the public to make donations. One hundred per cent of the funds collected will be returned to the schools in the communities where the funds were raised and will be used to purchase groceries for the various meal and snack programs in those communities.
“In Hastings and Prince Edward counties, thousands of children are attending school hungry every day,” said Maribeth deSnoo, executive director at the Food for Learning Foundation. “Programs in local public and Catholic schools minimize that hunger by providing breakfast, snack and lunch programs to their students. Children and youth require adequate nutrition in order to maximize their learning in the classroom.
“Programs are available in almost every school in our district and this school year, 154 breakfast, lunch and snack programs are being offered throughout Hastings and Prince Edward counties. Between September and June, 800,000 meals and snacks will be served to more than 11,000 children and youth.”
deSnoo said Hastings and Prince Edward counties have the second highest rate of food insecurity in the province of Ontario.
“The benefits of participating in a student nutrition program are immeasurable. Many students depend on our programs for their daily nutrition. Feed the Meter allows us to continue to provide quality food choices for all students.”
Sponsoring the event in Prince Edward County are the Prince Edward Federation of Agriculture, Prinzen Ford, and the Rotary Club.
Filed Under: Local News
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