Sharing Breakfast, and Giving Vulnerable Kids in Calgary an EvenStart

This is a long blog post. It needs to be.

The statistics vary depending on the measures used, but between one in seven and one in 10 Canadian children live in poverty.  Many of these children start their day on an empty stomach, and would not have a breakfast were it not for organizations such as Breakfast Clubs of Canada, and Breakfast for Learning.  The impact of childhood poverty of course extends beyond lack of breakfast as well.  Studies have shown that "[c]hildren who experience poverty, especially persistently, are at higher risk of suffering health problems, developmental delays, and behaviour disorders. They tend to attain lower levels of education and are more likely to live in poverty as adults." It can be upsetting to hear these statistics, but the impact is often short lived.  As we go about are daily lives, many of us are just not confronted with what those numbers mean.  

Yesterday, March 8, was National Breakfast Day in Canada.  Kellogg used the day as an opportunity to raise awareness about the hundreds of thousands of hungry children in Canada, and each momstown chapter had the opportunity to help by distributing breakfast kits consisting of a specially marked mini box of Rice Krispies, together with a bowl and a spoon.

In Calgary, we chose to share our breakfast with EvenStart For Children Foundation.  EvenStart recognizes that children who have experienced trauma, domestic violence, neglect, abuse and the effects of poverty lag developmentally from 70 to 90% behind their peers, despite the fact that approximately 75% have no underlying medical condition.

EvenStart aims to intervene in the lives of these at risk children when they are at the critical developmental age of three to five years old, giving them a better chance of succeeding in the future. Busing kids from their homes across the city to the program sites, they provide the children with a Reggio based preschool program, as well as two healthy, home cooked meals a day, and on site psychological services, as well speech, occupational, and play therapy.  EvenStart works with the families as well, providing them with food, clothing, parenting resources, and other supports. 

We were blessed to meet some of the incredible staff who work at EvenStart, and to receive a tour of the facility.  Here are a few photos that we can share:

Almost a hundred children a day are served nutritious meals home cooked in this very small kitchen:

Teachers and staff eat their meals in the classrooms with the children, providing them with an opportunity to model appropriate table behaviours, use of utensils etc:

Children are given free access to art materials, and invited to create:

A quiet area is provided for listening to music, and exploring books:

There is a ball pit, and equipment for physical activity and occupational therapy:

As well as a specialized sensory room with equipment such as light tubes for therapy:

I spent the morning fighting back tears: tears of sadness for what the children in the program have experienced in their home environments, and tears of happiness and gratitude for their progress and resiliency, and for the incredible staff who work with them.  This map of Canada was made by kindergarten students at EvenStart:

We will be collection donations for EvenStart and talking more about childhood poverty and the ways that we can help at our Art and Play event on Monday, as well as on our message board.  Regardless of where you live, one easy to help to is by visiting http://www.kelloggs.ca/en_CA/share-your-breakfast.html and sharing the message about kids experiencing hunger in Canada.  You can also buy specially marked Kellogg products.  For each product purchased, Kellogg will donate one product to either Breakfast for Learning, or Breakfast Clubs of Canada.