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By Tiffany Goodwein
Hungry students get fed

Food for Thought program feeding more students at Vernon high schools.

Jun 24, 2019 | 6:00 AM

A program that puts nutritious food in the stomachs of vulnerable high school students has been helping more students than ever before since launching in 2017.

The program, run by the Okanagan Learning Foundation has been serving 25 high school students per year since it launched at W.L. Seaton Secondary School, and has since expanded to feed an additional 10 students this year at Clarence Fulton Secondary.

“When a high school student walks into a Food for Thought pantry, they are grocery shopping,” explained Stephanie Hewson, Executive Director of the Okanagan Learning Foundation.

“They are allowed to take home 10 items every weekend, however two of those items must be fresh fruits and fresh vegetables,”

Teachers at School District 22 help run the program and add in an extra educational component for students.

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Stephanie Hewson, Executive Director of the Okanagan Learning Foundation talks about how the Food for Thought program benefits students (Tiffany Goodwein/Vernon Matters Staff)

“Often the students will go along with the teachers when they are doing the groceries to learn price comparison, and budgeting,” she said.

The need for the Food for Thought program came about to address food insecurity at the high school level.

Prior to the program, only elementary aged students had access to food on the weekends through the Starfish Pack program, but there was little support for high school students.

Hewson said they are hoping to expand to Vernon Secondary School as early as next year.

The Food for Thought program is one of many programs run through the Okanagan Learning Foundation.

by Tiffany Goodwein
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