CWL pushes national school food program

With the federal government promising a national school food program in its spring budget, the Toronto Diocesan Council of the Catholic Women’s League has already begun working on its own action plan.

The council and individual members have vowed to volunteer and donate to school food programs, promote the annual Nutrition Month sponsored by Dietitians of Canada and other partners and monitor the government’s development of the program. 

The Toronto council approved a resolution at its recent diocesan council to press for a national school food program to improve the health and education of children in Canada. Passed at its April 29-30 council held in Ajax, Ont., the Toronto council will request the Ontario Provincial Council of the CWL urge the federal government to develop the program.

“We hold the Moira Ste. Marie meeting every two years based on an aspect of Catholic social teaching and we have discussed various topics but this year our past-president at the time focused on food insecurity,” said Sue Lubowitz, CWL Toronto’s past-president/historian for 2024-2026. “It is a concern for all women because if nothing else, it deals with food and children. It is core to who we are in making sure that all children are safe and taken care of.

“We know this process takes time even just to develop a framework but there are still things now that can be done even to bring awareness to people of what is lacking within our schools.”  

In a brief, the Toronto CWL said Canada ranks 37th out of 41 wealthy countries in food security and nutrition, and it is the only G7 country without a national school food program, according to UNICEF Canada. The council also referenced a Haines & Ruetz study showing a national school food program helps reduce diet-related chronic diseases and contributes to children’s physical development and mental health well-being.

Other benefits of daily food provisions could include increased attendance and decreased dropout rates that would improve overall academic outcomes.  

The Toronto-level initiative dovetails nicely with other church groups’ national focuses, with the Anglican Church Women as well as the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations also focusing on food insecurity issues. 

The resolution goes to the Ontario committee for the provincial convention in July, which would then give it a chance for consideration at the 104th national convention in August. 

“The benefits of this are immeasurable and the studies have proven that children who are well fed have less illness and diseases and their mental health increases, so their school attendance is better. Those long-term benefits of children who have been fed and taken care of are perfect for the entirety of society,” Lubowitz said. 

While some schools do offer a form of nourishment through breakfast or snack programs, the CWL is pushing for a truly national program complete with a national framework.

“The federal government would set the standard and provide the money and each province would then develop to those standards. It would be a coordinated service so that if you are a child in Ontario or Alberta, you could access the same level program,” she said. 

A full breakdown of the action plan can be found at https://www.cwltoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/09b-Resolution-TDC-2024-01-National-School-Food-Program-Draft-copy.pdf.