School district gets $800K to help feed students in need

JulieMacLellan jmaclellan@newwestrecord ca

More than $800,000 in new provincial funding will help the NewWestminster school district feed students and help families in need.

In April, the B.C. Ministry of Education and Child Care announced funding of $214 million over three years to support a provincewide food program, Feeding Futures. New Westminster’s share for 2023-24 is $826,518

More than $500,000 of that money is being earmarked for subsidies to allow families to use existing food programs: the Fuel Up lunch program in elementary and middle schools, and the cafeteria at NewWestminster Secondary School

Another $75,000 is set aside for the district’s breakfast and snack program, which provides breakfast and snack foods such as granola bars and yogurt cups in schools.

Another major chunk of the funding, $150,000, is being designated for direct support to vulnerable families, in the form of gift cards (such asWalmart or grocery store cards) to support their purchase of food and necessities at home.

The district is also desig- nating $50,000 of the new funding for staffing. Ketcham noted the staffing is already in place; the new funding allows the district to cover existing staffing costs That, in turn, frees up operating funds and CommunityLINK funding (provided by the Ministry of Education to support vulnerable students) to be spent on other needs and priorities

Smaller amounts have also been earmarked for small appliances (such as microwaves and toaster ovens) for school food programs, food for outreach programs and food for alternate education programs.