Hilary Duff, the pop star, was in Toronto yesterday to promote a program to feed high school students. But before we get to that, let us go to Emery Collegiate Institute, on Weston Road at Finch Avenue West, which began its own program in October to feed 1,050 students a mid-morning meal every school day.
As it turns out, what students really crave are carrots.
“They fight for it,” says Grade 10 student Shahla Hassan, 16, who is in Grade 10. “They only bring two bags of carrots and they fight for it.”
Emery Collegiate is a big old high school on a hill. It looks ordinary enough; students rose yesterday to sing O Canada, and the vice-principal, speaking over the P.A., encouraged them to watch the Martin Grove vs. Emery basketball game at 7 p.m. on Rogers cable.
According to school board studies, 68% of students here don’t eat breakfast, and 54% don’t eat lunch. They have among the highest rate of type 2 diabetes in Canada.
Last fall, the Toronto District School Board began feeding a meal at three high schools and four middle schools in the Jane/Finch area, including this one, at a cost of $1.1-million per year. Read more.
I’m interested in this program. I’m writing to get more information on the program. Because I am aware that some children only meal are those that is served at school.