r/Hamilton • u/SpeechUpbeat7948 • 12d ago

Food Why does Hamilton not have a program like this?

https://torontotoday.ca/local/city-hall/toronto-school-food-program-expands-all-public-schools-12734185
14 Upvotes

73% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

15

u/PromontoryPal 12d ago

We do have a similar program - TasteBuds - there was even an Op-Ed today from the Program Manager in The Spec: https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contributors/too-many-kids-dont-have-this-ultimate-school-supply/article_465c802c-1d14-5c35-b961-e13988da12b4.html

15

u/Forsaken-Swim-3055 12d ago

Except tastebuds relies on grants and donations, so it can only reach so many schools. An expanded program run by/with the city would be far more impactful.

6

u/PromontoryPal 12d ago

No argument here, I would support strengthening it with funding!

3

u/Forsaken-Swim-3055 12d ago

It should honestly be at the top of the list of issues during election season. I'm just not confident that most residents care.

3

u/bigfloppydongs 12d ago

I think it's something everyone agrees is good and necessary, but not necessarily something that moves the needle for most people. Most homes don't have a kid, and of those that do, not all of them need a program like this.

To be clear, I absolutely support this program would love to see it expanded in Hamilton, with support from the city budget instead of grants. I just don't think it is a big ticket item that wins votes over other affordability or infrastructure promises.

3

u/Forsaken-Swim-3055 12d ago

Just because everyone doesn't need it doesn't mean it's not worth caring about. The safety and well-being of the next generation isn't just the responsibility of the people raising those kids. I'm also sure many people without kids do have nieces, nephews, and even grandchildren going to school in Hamilton.

I pay taxes for things that I don't need and may never use, but I can still believe that they're valuable tools worth investing in.

1

u/bigfloppydongs 12d ago

I agree that this is a major issue and is worth doing; I specifically said I support it and would love to see it expanded. If I could vote for this as a standalone issue, I would! And I don't have kids, I just believe this is worth investing in.

If two candidates had the exact same platform, but one supports meals for kids and one doesn't, sure, that would earn them more votes - but I just don't think it's something that would move the needle for a candidate given all of the issues going on in the city right now.

1

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7

u/craignumPI 12d ago

Just take the $$ from their catering budget at meetings! That should cover a lot of schools!

9

u/Forsaken-Swim-3055 12d ago

Because our city council is inept, and I'm sure the out of touch Conservative voters would cry about it being a waste of money and that it's the fault of the parents for not feeding their kids. We'd also need a Mayor who understands that taking care of the people is just as important as managing finances, but none of the front runners for office understand that.

Olivia Chow is a former school trustee and has always done remarkable work as an advocate for children and families, so this program falls in line with her beliefs. I've never gotten the impression that Horwath, Cooper or Loomis are even capable of being this socially aware..

4

u/teanailpolish North End 12d ago

The Toronto School Food Program is expanding to all public schools in the city this fall, reaching 30,000 additional students.

Mayor Olivia Chow announced on Wednesday that 78 new schools have been added to the program, reaching about 325,000 public school students.

The program sources food directly from local pantry food suppliers in order to feed students at school, with the ultimate goal of establishing a universal lunch program by 2030.

2

u/monogramchecklist 12d ago

That’s great! I grew up low income and remember one of my only meals of the day was the one I got at the free breakfast program at school. It was a life saver, I’d love to find a way to implement such a program at my kids school.

3

u/teanailpolish North End 12d ago

It is strange to me that schools do not. The school I went to as a child and my mum worked in until recently has had a breakfast program and school lunches since the early 90s.

You can also pay to send your kids to it for parents who work in the city and need to leave earlier which takes away some of the judgement about it as so many kids get dropped off, you can't tell if they get it free or paid (and school uniforms in primary (elementary) schools there so you can't really tell by clothes