School nutrition programs launch in 2 Brandon schools

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This article was published 31/01/2025 (280 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Harvest Manitoba said Thursday it has expanded its Meals2Go student nutrition program to two schools in Brandon, marking a new milestone in the initiative’s growth.

The expansion of the program to city schools would include the provision of essential weekend and summer meal kits for students at the Betty Gibson and King George schools — the first schools in the Wheat City to be included in the program.

More than 600 meal kits were delivered in total, on Thursday, to the two schools to ensure the students have consistent access to nutritious food outside school hours, president Vince Barletta told the Sun.

“Each Friday — except for this week, when the distribution was moved to Thursday due to an in-service day — students receive kits containing milk, yogurt, fresh fruit, granola bars, and cereal to take home for the weekend,” Barletta said on Thursday. “The program will continue until the end of the school year.”

He also explained the selection of the two schools was made in collaboration with the Brandon School Division, which was asked to identify locations where the program would be most effective, adding that the warm welcome from students and teachers shows that these schools were “a great choice.”

At King George School alone, 23 boxes containing 280 food kits were distributed and the impact on students and their families is already being felt.

King George School Grade 8 student Dominic Reyes expressed gratitude for the donation.

“It’s a blessing to have Harvest Manitoba here and choosing us as the first schools in Brandon,” he said. “There are lots of kids in the morning who don’t have snacks because their families can’t afford it. We’re grateful.”

The program is significant, especially given rising food costs, King George principal Rob Dinsdale told the Sun.

“It meets a meaningful need in our community. Students and families are facing real concerns about food security,” he said. “Kids that are well fed come to school better prepared to learn, and this program provides them with consistency and predictability.”

The school division is hopeful the program will expand further in Brandon, assistant superintendent Jon Zilkey said.

“While King George and Betty Gibson were prioritized for the initial rollout, there is a greater need across other schools,” he told the Sun. “If Meals2Go and Harvest Manitoba have the capacity, we would certainly like to see the program reach more schools.”

Barletta echoed the desire for the program’s expansion, emphasizing that funding would play a key role.

“Harvest Manitoba relies on the generosity of Manitobans,” he said. “If we have the funds — whether through further provincial support or additional donors — we’d love to expand the program. The need is here, and the benefits are real.”

He added that Harvest Manitoba is actively seeking partnerships with organizations and businesses in Brandon to support the program. “We’d love to have a community partner to help pack the Meals2Go bags here in Brandon instead of shipping them from Winnipeg. That would make it more economical to grow the program.”

Harvest Manitoba’s Meals2Go program, which began as Breakfast2Go in 2018, has grown significantly over the years.

With additional funding from Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning and the K&P Talbot Community Fund, the program has expanded to serve nearly 5,000 students on a weekly basis. In addition to Brandon, Meals2Go also operates in 15 schools across Winnipeg, the Opaskwayak Cree Nation and other communities across Manitoba. The program also runs during the summer with pop-up distribution sites outside school locations.

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