By Angie Sullivan
Keswick High School’s Hospitality and Breakfast Program is battling food insecurity in the community by working with the Food Pantry program.
This year, approximately 100 community members were served per week, along with over 100 students, through the breakfast and snack Program.
Carolyn Butterworth, public school trustee for East Gwillimbury and Georgina, said, “Families began to share their experiences with food insecurity and the lack of access to a local food bank– the closest food bank to our school is in Sutton at the Link. An opportunity to partner with The York Region Food Bank became available, and we applied to open a Food Bank at Keswick High School to serve the families of Georgina.”
The program has been in effect since 2021, with a pick-up location for families two days a week at the school.
Principal Casey Daleman said, “I’ve noticed a real serious uptake in the people that are participating in breakfast in the morning and the food bank program.”
Pam Sedgewick, a developmental support worker at Keswick High School, said, “Our students needed something to keep them busy and get work experience and learn new skills. So we started running a little business, the students got more involved with the cafeteria, and it has kind of grown from there. We hooked up with the food bank, and they deliver, so it became more work experience for all the children in the school.”
Nio is a grade 12 student and said, “It feels amazing knowing that you’re giving students food that you prepped and you created that you could be proud of.”
Adam is in grade 11 and said, “This program has helped me to be a critical thinker. When you’re cooking, you have to be careful with the ingredients that you make, and if you mess up one step the whole recipe is cooked.”
Grade 12 Student Finn added, “We feed families. It’s a great feeling.”
Anne Marie Ross, intervention support worker, said, “Through the breakfast program and the food pantry, we’ve been able to teach a lot of our students great transferable skills, such as working in a group, communication, and time management.”
The program has been so popular that Keswick High School continues to work with the York Region Food Bank during the summer to help with deliveries.
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