The City of Cambridge just "broke ground" for being the first municipality in the region to donate to Nutrition for Learning.
Earlier in the year, the city had approved a $15,000 grant for the organization dedicated to feeding children in local schools.
"With this donation, we will be able to feed more children and add to an already growing budget," said Erin Moraghan, CEO of Nutrition for Learning. "It may seem like a drop in the bucket, but it goes a long way."
Moraghan nsaid Cambridge has become the first municipality to help support their organization as the need continues to skyrocket.
"For context, $15,000 is the average cost of a primary school's annual student nutrition program," said Moraghan.
Back in May, the city had to sort through 57 applications totalling $1.2 million in grant requests for their Grants to Groups program.
Nutrition for Learning sought $80,000 and only ended up with $15,000 while Food4Kids sought $75,000 and only received $35,500.
The Cambridge Food Bank sought $150,500 but only received $50,000.
While $15,000 doesn't seem like a lot of money, the organization noted it will take what it can get as provincial funding has stalled, not adjusting to rising demand and costs.
According to the group, Nutrition for Learning's overall food spend in the 23-24 school year was just over $1.7 million, with Cambridge schools accounting for over $500,000 in food costs.
The Ontario government only accounts for 25 per cent of the funds necessary to feed students across the region.
Here in Cambridge, all 50 schools have Nutrition for Learning programs, with approximately 23,441 students having access to the program daily.
"Because we service 100 per cent of the schools in Cambridge, this investment from the city just makes sense and we couldn't be more grateful," added Moraghan.
"There are so many families that rely on this program to actually feed their children. It's not just there anymore if a student forgets their apple or a sandwich. We are literally feeding families."
In one year, the spending budget went from $800k in 2023 to $1.7 million in 2024 with another jump expected for this school year.
Moraghan noted that community partnerships like the City of Cambridge, this is how the program can continue to thrive and service local children.
"Without our amazing partners, I don't think we would be able to continue our work," she said.
"We know that if kids are hungry they won't be productive, so we need to start at the basics and that is just making sure they are fed."
Being a Cambridge resident herself, Moraghan is happy to see her city leading the way and helping the children in Cambridge and the rest of the region.
