Coalition welcomes dedicated funds for School Food!
Help Us Grow the
National School Food Program!
Let's Make the National School Food Program
permanent
Be a Champion for School Food:
Send a Letter to Your MP
As part of our Nourish Kids Now campaign — a national call to action to celebrate and strengthen the new National School Food Program — we’re proud to launch our newest initiative: Be a Champion for School Food.
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Through this campaign, the Coalition for Healthy School Food invites teachers, parents, members, endorsers, and supporters in Canada to contact their local Member of Parliament (MP), congratulate them on being newly elected, and ask to make the National School Food Program permanent and for their support in strengthening and expanding school food programs.
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This action is a core component of Nourish Kids Now, and it’s designed for anyone in Canada who wants to advocate for stronger school food programs — including educators, families, nonprofit leaders, and concerned citizens.
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Use our ready-to-go letter templates to make your voice heard — and help ensure the National School Food Program becomes a permanent, sustainable part of how we care for children and youth in Canada.
Why Take Action?
A new Parliament brings new opportunities.
With the National School Food Program now underway, it’s time to make sure your MP knows that their constituents support universal, sustainable school food programs — and want to see them thrive in every province and territory.
By sending a short, personalized letter, you’re helping:
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Keep school food on the national agenda
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Ensure strong federal investments continue
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Build a lasting program for all children and youth in Canada
Why It Matters?
Children and youth go to schools with food programs — but many still go without.
The National School Food Program was launched in April 2024. Now we need to make it permanent and expand it.
Let’s build a future where every child and youth in Canada can count on nourishing food at school.
Write to Your MP: Make School Food a Priority
Step 1
Find Your MP
Use your postal code to identify your Member of Parliament.
Check if they are also a Cabinet Minister.
Step 3
Customize your message
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MP’s name and riding
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Your name and community
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A few sentences about why school food matters to you
Step 2
Pick Your Letter Template
Choose the letter that best matches who you are — and what you want to say.
🟧 Parent
🟦 Teacher
🟩 Coalition Member or Endorser
🟨 Student (coming soon!)
✨ French versions available here: Modèles de lettres
Step 4
Email or print your letter
Send it to your MP’s constituency or Ottawa office.
You can email directly, or mail a printed copy.
Download Your Letter Template
federal budget 2025
Read the Coalition’s submission to the government of Canada;
it's time to include a Canada-wide School Food Program
in #Budget2025
The COVID-19 crisis has revealed that school food is an essential public good, just like K-12 education and healthcare. Everyone needs access to good food to be healthy, particularly children and youth, and we need strong and resilient food systems to keep us safe.
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Building on the Coalition’s advocacy for a Universal Cost-Shared Healthy School Food Program for Canada and the government’s commitment in Budget 2019, and political support across many parties in the recent election campaign including a commitment of $1 Billion in funding over five years from the Liberal Party, the Coalition for Healthy School Food was so pleased to see the inclusion of the development of a School Food Program for Canada in the mandate letters of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould (responsible for the implementation of social programs such as childcare), and Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau (responsible for the Food Policy for Canada).
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Tell your local Member of Parliament (MP) that you agree that school food is important and that you want them to push for Budget 2024 to include funding for a School Food Program for Canada.
more info
Coalition for Healthy School Food members have often been told by MPs that Budget 2019 included a commitment to school food because coalition members across Canada let the Finance Committee know we wanted action. Read more here about our 2018 deputations.
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Summary of Coalition’s Pre-Budget 2024 Submission:
The Coalition for Healthy School Food recommends that the Government of Canada:
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Allocate $1 billion over five years in Budget 2024 to establish a National School Nutritious Meal Program as a key element of the evolving Food Policy for Canada, with $200 million per year to contribute to provinces, territories and First Nation, Métis and Inuit partners to fund their school food programs.
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Enter into immediate discussions with Indigenous leaders to negotiate agreements for the creation and/or enhancement of permanent independent distinctions-based First Nation, Métis and Inuit school meal programs.
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Create a dedicated school food infrastructure fund to enhance food production and preparation equipment and facilities so they can reliably and efficiently serve healthy food in adequate volumes.
#NOURISH KIDS NOW is a grassroots campaign that is calling on the federal government to make a cost-shared investment in healthy, universal school food programs, which would build on the investments of our provinces, municipalities and communities.
Postcard /Letter Campaign
School food programs bring nutritious food into classrooms for students so they are ready to learn and succeed.
Building off the energy of the Great Big Crunch, we’re asking students and teachers to share why healthy food at school is important to you.
By participating, you will help decision makers know that we need to create and expand school food programs in Canada to make sure that all children and youth have access to healthy food at school!