Volunteer Spotlight: Fueling students at Nelson HS to support their well-being

When I first started teaching, I didn’t realize the impact I would make in the lives of those I taught. I enjoyed it, working with the students, helping them learn and knowing that I was playing a part in helping them grow into the adults they were becoming.

I would learn that some of my most important work was going to happen outside of the regular classroom time. It was there I got involved with the Student Nutrition Program at Nelson HS.

One day in class I heard a student’s stomach growl, so I asked did you have breakfast, and they replied “no.” I had heard about Halton Food for Thought through colleagues at other schools and I thought right then that we needed this program at our school too! Over my 20 plus years at the school, the students had always been so kind to me and I wanted to give back to them and this seemed like a great opportunity.

I have since retired but remain a part of the program which has been running for a few years now, and it is amazing the sense of community that has been built during this time. I couldn’t have done it without the help of two wonderful Educational Assistants (Louise and Vickey) that get to school early each morning and set up and prepare the breakfast table.

I see the breakfast program has impacted the school culture in a very positive way. As the students come in through the door each morning they are greeted with a welcome hello and nutritious food. This year we have students in our Community Pathways Program involved to help out each morning. In so many ways our program fosters inclusivity at Nelson, and I am so proud to be a part of this.

Our Breakfast Program does more than just provide a nutritious start to the day for so many students. Last year a student came to me and told me that they thought what we were doing in our program was a good thing, and wanted to know if he could help.  What made that so special was he was one of our more disengaged students. We arranged for him to help while collecting community service volunteer hours, another benefit of our program for students.

Over the course of the semester, he showed up nearly every day and did an excellent job of helping me with the daily clean up. Over that time, we built a strong bond, and I am proud to say that he is now attending classes and taking responsibility for his own success at school.

Nutrition, community, confidence and support are all benefits of this program in the Nelson community for our students. I am grateful that I was able to initiate this program at the school and more grateful to continue to play a role in helping students reach their full potential at school outside of the classroom.

If you are looking to get involved with Halton Food for Thought, reach out to see if your local school needs volunteers. If you want to help but are not able to make the early morning shifts, donations to support the programs are another great way to support student access to these programs.

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