Here in Canada, approximately 1.15 million children go to school hungry. Some of these children won’t even have a packed lunch. They’ll have to wait until they get home to eat anything that day. There’s a reason why breakfast is known as the most important meal of the day. Breakfast is important in refueling the body with energy and nutrients and kick-starting the day. Breakfast is even more important for young children. This nutritious meal provides energy and essential nutrients which are vital for healthy development. Children who are deprived of a healthy meal in the morning find it harder to concentrate and have a decreased attention span. Breakfast can also have a big impact on a child’s mood and behaviour. When children are lacking proper nutrition, they can become tired and irritable, causing them to act out.
Jack 92.9 wanted to change these statistics and make sure every child has the opportunity to eat a healthy breakfast in the morning and Maritime Fuels was happy to help! I had the pleasure of speaking with Natalie Duggan, Media Account Manager for Jack 92.9. She was able to give some insight into the Breakfast Program and how it came to be.
How did the radio station become involved with the breakfast program?
Natalie – Jack 929 started the School Breakfast Program sponsorship as a result of wanting to give back to our community. Radio gives us the platform to help inform our listeners about things happening in our community and we strive to take any opportunity to use our platform to support our communities. This offers a unique sponsorship opportunity to partner with a local business with the same vision of wanting to give back to the communities where we live and work. The idea of supporting school children with the breakfast program was a great way to achieve this goal so we reached out to the HRCE and they were thrilled with the idea. We are very proud to have Maritime Fuels as our partner for this program.
What kind of feedback has the station been receiving regarding the breakfast program?
Natalie – We have had amazing feedback from the community. Our listeners, the schools themselves, the children, the teachers, and the parents have embraced this initiative with open arms. We receive nominations from our listeners offering suggestions of schools to be included each week. We also get thank you emails and notes from the schools and the HRCE.
How do you feel this program has impacted the communities/ children?
Natalie – This program has had a tremendously positive impact on the community. Jack 929 and Maritime Fuels have helped draw attention to the need for breakfast programs in our schools.
We all know that children learn better with a full belly. By providing weekly donations to various schools, Maritime fuels is giving children a better opportunity to succeed at school.
Jack 929 and the HRCE are very grateful to have Maritime Fuels as our partner for this important initiative.
Maritime Fuels is pleased to work with Jack 92.9 in ensuring children in the Maritimes have a full belly while learning and exploring while they attend school. If you’d like to learn more about the Breakfast Program or know of a school that deserves to be nominated, please contact Jack 92.9 at (902) 493-7200 or visit https://www.jack929.com/contact-us/.