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Nourishing News | Fall 2021 – You kept kids happy and healthy this summer

By Jenna Cura
September 23, 2021
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After the bell

A child’s summer memories should be full of family picnics, backyard barbecues, savouring berries right off of the bush… 

Yet for too many kids, summer can be a time they’d rather forget. When schools close, so do many school meal programs that vulnerable families rely on, leaving parents struggling to provide 3 meals a day to hungry, growing kids from June to August. 

Summer hunger has always been a challenge in our community, but this year, it’s been even tougher for families. With schools closed throughout the winter and spring due to COVID-19, parents were already stretched thin by the time summer started.  

But together, we provided support to families all summer long. Thanks to Food Banks Canada and their donors, we were able to provide over 3,460 After the Bell food packs to hungry kids all across Mississauga.

Kids’ eyes lit up when they opened up their very own food packs. Inside, they found items like milk, hummus and crackers, oatmeal, yogurt, and fresh fruits and veggies—foods that, without your help, families struggle to provide. 

All summer long, After the Bell packs gave kids the energy they needed to run, play, swim, and dream. And they gave parents the support and peace of mind they needed to enjoy the summer with their children.      

Right now, one in three food bank clients in our community are children. And more and more families are turning to us for help as they struggle to recover from the pandemic.  

Thank you so much for being there for every child and family in need of food—during the summer months, and all year long! 

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