Here at Toronto Foundation for Student Success (TFSS), after a successful pilot year, we launched our Bridging the Nutrition Gap (BTNG) initiative to bring healthy food like fresh fruit and veggies directly to Student Nutrition Programs that need it most. Our goal? To provide portions of healthy food every day to children in underserved areas. We stretched every dollar by buying healthy foods in bulk, from places like the Ontario Food Terminal, helping us provide more food for more children for less!
However, last mile delivery can add unique challenges, especially in keeping costs low, so we partnered with organizations like Second Harvest to bring food straight from the food terminal to schools. Soon, we’ll have two of our own cargo vans on the road, thanks to funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation! These small vans are perfect for navigating tight streets and urban areas here in our city, and getting food to schools with smaller student populations that can’t store large deliveries. These refrigerated vans will keep food like apples, carrots, bananas and yogurt fresh, even in extreme weather!
“The additional food from BTNG has helped us provide both better quality and better portions of healthy, nutritious foods to our students. Because of this program, we’re now able to serve the three full food groups needed to help our kids learn and stay focused in class. Before BTNG, we could only serve two food groups.” – SNP Coordinator
During the 2023-2024 school year, BTNG helped nourish over 34,000 students in 89 schools. This year, the program continues to grow. This initiative was made possible by a transformational gift, along with support from other donors and help from partners. It’s amazing what we can accomplish when community comes together!