The Cariboo/Chilcotin School District will receive $637,232 and the Quesnel School District will get $420,850 from the provincial government to expand local food programs.
Quesnel School Superintendent Dan Lowndes says the money is much appreciated.
“Previously food programs in our district have ben funded through our local operating budget as well as local donors, PAC funding, as well as temporary grant money and these will still be important.  But this predictable funding that will be there year over year really allows us to build off of this and is a breath of fresh air.”
Lowndes says it will allow them to build on the partnerships they have in the community and be able to meet the needs of more students.
Here, Lowndes talks about some of the programs.
“We have great partnerships in the community where we are able to support programs such as kids in the kitchen where youths can learn great culinary skills, another examples is backpack buddies through the Friendship Centre, where students can take a back pack home full of food on Friday and then bring it back empty on Monday.”
Lowndes says these programs are stigma free.
He says the Board of Education and community partners still need to talk about how this funding will be spent, but he says another possibility would be to supplement the prices at the cafeteria for all students.