Student Nutrition Program
Learn about the Student Nutrition Program and find out how you can volunteer and contribute to programs in your community.
About the Student Nutrition Program
The Student Nutrition Program offers school-age children and youth nutritious food through breakfast, lunch, and snack programs.
The goal of the program is to support learning and healthy development. Nutritious food helps kids learn and focus. Research has shown that students have trouble learning when they are hungry at school.
Changes due to coronavirus (COVID-19)
Due to COVID-19, we are making changes to help ensure the program continues to be available to meet family needs during school closures and throughout the summer.
The program is adapting to include new approaches, such as:
- providing grocery gift cards or farm vouchers
- offering food boxes, meal kits or frozen meals
- partnering with food banks
You can contact your local lead agency to find out how to contribute or volunteer with programs in your community.
Eligibility
The program is open to all children and youth at each program site across Ontario.
Information on how to contribute or volunteer
Fourteen lead agencies oversee program administration and grants. They support fundraising, build partnerships with program sponsors and work with community partners to support local programs.
Programs are developed by schools and community partners to meet local needs. Program delivery is supported by volunteers, such as parents, teachers, school staff and other community members. Program providers are encouraged to select foods that are grown or produced locally.
Local fundraising is an important part of the Student Nutrition Program. You can contact your local lead agency to find out how to contribute or volunteer with programs in your community.
First Nations Student Nutrition Program
The First Nations Student Nutrition Program helps provide children and youth with access to nutritious meals and snacks at 120 sites across 63 First Nations. The program is delivered through a First Nations-led process.
For more information about the First Nations Student Nutrition Program, you can contact a representative from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services by emailing firstnationssnp@ontario.ca.
The Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres also receives funding for Student Nutrition Programs for children and youth who attend Akwe:go and Wasa-Nabin programs or the Alternative Secondary School Program.
Find a local lead agency
You can contact your local lead agency to find out how to contribute or volunteer with programs in your community.
Western Ontario
Hamilton, Brantford, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, and the Counties of Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk
Haldimand Norfolk R.E.A.C.H.
101 Nanticoke Creek Parkway
P.O. Box 5054
Townsend, Ontario
N0A 1S0
E-mail: info@hnreach.on.ca
Huron/Perth, Grey/Bruce, London/Middlesex, Elgin, Oxford, Chatham/Kent, Windsor/Essex, Sarnia/Lambton
Victorian Order of Nurses
4520 Rhodes Drive Unit 400
Windsor, Ontario
N8W 5C2
E-mail: osnp@von.ca
Eastern Ontario
Dundas County, Glengarry County, Prescott County, Russell County, Stormont County, Renfrew County
Upper Canada Leger Centre for Education and Training
225 Central Avenue West
Brockville, Ontario
K6V 5J9
E-mail: info@uclc.ca
Hastings and Prince Edward Counties, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Counties, The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Lanark County
Hastings and Prince Edward Learning Foundation
156 Ann Street
Belleville, Ontario
K8N 3L3
Email: mdesnoo@hpedsb.on.ca
Food for Learning
Food Sharing Project
Nutrition 4 Kids
Ottawa
Ottawa Network for Education (Formerly Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation)
900 Morrison Drive, Suite 205
Ottawa, Ontario
K2H 8K7
Email: info@onfe-rope.ca
Ottawa School Breakfast Program
Northern Ontario
North Bay, Nipissing, Parry Sound and Muskoka Districts
Community Living North Bay
161 Main Street East
North Bay, Ontario
P1B 1A9
Student Nutrition North Bay
Algoma District, Sault Ste. Marie
Algoma Family Services
205 McNabb Street
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
P6B 1Y3
Kenora and Rainy River
Northwestern Health Unit
75-D Van Horne Avenue
Dryden, Ontario
P8N 2B2
Student Nutrition Program
Sudbury and Greater Sudbury
Sudbury Better Beginnings Better Future Association
450 Morin Avenue
Sudbury, Ontario
P3C 5H6
E-mail: betterb@isys.ca
Thunder Bay and surrounding areas
Canadian Red Cross Society
1145 Barton Street
Thunder Bay, Ontario
P7B 5N3
E-mail: Thunderbay@redcross.ca
Timmins, Cochrane and Timiskaming Districts
Canadian Red Cross Society
Timmins & District Branch
60 Wilson Avenue, Suite 201
Timmins, Ontario
P4N 2S7
Email: Timmins@redcross.ca
Central Ontario
City of Kawartha Lakes, Durham, Haliburton, Northumberland, Peterborough, Simcoe, York Region
Peterborough Child & Family Centres
201 Antrim Street
Peterborough, Ontario
K9H 3G5
Email: administrator@pfrc.ca
Halton, Peel, Waterloo, Wellington, Dufferin, Guelph
YMCA of Three Rivers
161 Roger Street
Waterloo, Ontario
N2J 1B1
Email: studentnutrition@ckwymca.ca
Toronto
Toronto Foundation for Student Success
2 Trethewey Drive, 4th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M6M 4A8
Email: tfss@tdsb.on.ca
City of Toronto's Student Nutrition Program web page
Student Nutrition Program guidelines
The Student Nutrition Program guidelines will help to model healthy breakfast, lunch and snack foods options for children and youth participating in the program.
Further information can be found in the Student Nutrition Program guidelines.
A PDF version of the Student Nutrition Program guidelines is also available for download.