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Pilot project provides fresh, healthier foods to students

Child holding a wrap in a classroom. There is a red and white checkered sandwich paper in their lap.
Student enjoys a chicken wrap provided by The Food Sharing Project. Photo courtesy of Andy Mills.
Karim Mosna - CFRC - Kingston • ON | 09-06-2022
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The Food Sharing Project is wrapping up a prepared food pilot project next week. The pilot was initiated to offer Kingston area schools healthier foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables, wraps and sandwiches, instead of pre-packaged foods that were being served to students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“We felt we weren’t able to offer the best and schools didn’t have the time to prepare sandwiches or breakfasts other than pre-packed foods,” Executive Director of The Food Sharing Project Andy Mills says.

Demand for food area schools has also risen by 30-40 per cent over the past two years, according to Mills. The pilot began in April after receiving a grant from the Kingston and Area Community Foundation valued at over $10,000. The grant covers the additional cost for prepared foods and for insulated cooler bags. Meals are prepared through a partnership with the Voices, Opportunities & Choices Employment Club (VOCEC), an agency of Providence Hospital. 

“VOCEC creates unique opportunities to allow adults living with mental illness to have meaningful employment… We employ four associates from VOCEC…We were able to create a little more employment and be able to benefit from having these wonderful food items made in a food-safety certified kitchen,” says Mills.

According to Mills, a preliminary survey garnered a very positive response.

“Students said they enjoyed the flavour and it was fresh; school staff were happy that it really saved them some time and helped provide healthy food to students.”

Mills says now they will be looking at the costs and analyzing the logistics of continuing the program in the fall and possibly expanding service.

“How can we scale it up?…We had 12 schools in the pilot project and it was only once a day for each of them…Is it possible to expand that to offer it every day to more schools and farther abroad…Did providing these prepared foods decrease some of the other less packaged foods? 

The Food Sharing Project is an independent charity that partners with Student Nutrition Ontario serving Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington.

Listen to the full CFRC interview with Andy Mills:

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