Each morning, students and staff walking into Winkler's Garden Valley Collegiate are greeted by something special, smiling faces ready to welcome them to the day with conversation and offer them a healthy breakfast.
    
A recent grant of $20 thousand from the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba will continue to help drive this program.
    
GVC Principal Carrie Friesen says the purpose of the grant is to help GVC help their students with any food scarcity issues they may face. She said the grant will help ensure every student gets a healthy breakfast in the morning.

"We're excited about this opportunity as it helps us expand a program already in place," said Friesen.  

When you walk through the main front door entrance, Friesen said, you can't help but walk past the breakfast cart with multiple staff greeting you, saying good morning, and engaging in conversations. "We really are excited about the opportunity to welcome students to school, and with food."

In some cases, Friesen said it might also be the first conversation the student is having with an adult that day, so they want to start the day right. 

Candace Hughes, a chef at the high school's 'Zone' cafeteria is facilitating the program.

"It's for everyone. Students, teachers, support staff. Anybody coming in is free to take," shared Hughes. "There's no stigma attached to it."

Each morning, two breakfast carts are set up for anybody entering in the mornings, and then we've got a toast bar and another cart upstairs, and everyone can just come and grab and go, so it's available to everybody. "

Hughes said she can see the difference in the morning the breakfast carts are making.  

"I see it in the students. In those ten minutes of the morning, when they're still sleepy not quite awake, it wakes them up and gets them ready for the day. And I've just seen a change in the students coming in in the mornings. They're just more positive. And more ready to start their day."

Before this grant, Friesen said the Food Rescue Program Phyllis Kroeker started at Central Station, was the catalyst for them to grow the breakfast program. Without the Food Rescue Program, she says GVC would not have had the funds or product to offer it.
     
The purpose of the grant from the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba is to help GVC help their students with any food scarcity issues they may face, 

"We know scientists have already proven that students who eat breakfast in the morning perform better on their tests, and they have significantly higher scores in math and reading than students who don't," said Friesen. "Not only are we trying to meet that social and emotional need, the food need, but academically we know we're making a positive impact."

Friesen said they received the $20,000 grant on March 28th.

"The amount was intended for us to use for our meal and snack program for the remainder of the school year. Eighty percent of the grant is meant for food purchasing, so we are purchasing fresh fruit, and healthy foods that we can add to what we were already receiving from Central Station."

Twenty percent of the grant could be used for supplies and equipment. 

Friesen said they used the twenty- percent to purchase a custom-made counter and storage unit. The unit is the first step in getting them to their future dream of offering a free continental-style breakfast at the school, with more items.

"We really can see that we can grow this to become something quite amazing," said Friesen.

~ With files by Connie Bailey ~