Food program for students in Oakville, Burlington, Milton receives $75,000 grant

A Halton food bank based in Oakville is receiving more than $75,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Halton Food for Thought (HFFT) provides more than 92,000 students in Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills with daily access to nutritious meals and snacks. With a network spanning 149 partner schools, HFFT ensures that more than 89 per cent of students in the region have access to essential Student Nutrition Programs (SNP).

The funding was announced by Effie Triantafilopoulos, MPP for Oakville North -Burlington and Stephen Crawford, MPP for Oakville.

HFFT will use the grant to facilitate the development of a new strategic plan, solidifying its position as the primary provider of SNP in Halton.

This strategic initiative aims to advance HFFT’s vision of eradicating student hunger, fostering a healthier and more equitable community, in line with their slogan: “No Student in Halton Goes Hungry.”

“It gives me great pleasure to know that, through Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant Resilient Communities Fund, our government continues to invest in important community initiatives like those of Halton Food for Thought (HFFT),” said Crawford.

“Our community is grateful for partners like HFFT, and their volunteer run programs that can continue and expand, feeding students healthy food so they may be successful in school.”

HFFT was launched in 1997 and was incorporated as a registered charity in 2007 and 149 Halton Schools are now partners.

To remain universal and non-stigmatizing, SNPs are offered free of charge and all students at each SNP site are encouraged to participate in the program.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Their investments in communities across the province help build healthy and vibrant communities.

For more than 30 years, OTF grants have made an impact on the social, cultural and economic well-being of the people of Ontario.

Since 2015, OTF has invested close to $613 million in support of over 3,600 projects across all of their programs.