More than $800,000 in new provincial funding will help the New Westminster 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 New Westminster 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 as Walmart or grocery store cards) to support their purchase of food and necessities at home.
That spending builds on work the district did in the fall with its share of a B.C. government affordability fund that was announced in August.
School District 40 secretary-treasurer Bettina Ketcham said those gift cards were well received.
“We were able to provide families during breaks, whether it be spring break, summer break and winter break, some additional support and tide them over until when school started again,” Ketcham said.
The district is also designating $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 as follows:
- Appliances for schools: $15,000 for small appliances and implements (such as microwaves, toaster ovens, blenders, muffin pans, mixing bowls) to support school nutrition programs
- Food for outreach programs: $20,000 for meals and snacks in the Welcome Centre, the Indigenous education room at the high school and other accessible outreach programs at schools
- Food for alternate education programs: $8,500 for food programs at the Royal City Alternate Program and POWER Alternate Secondary School
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
Email Julie, [email protected]
