A local nutrition program designed to provide healthy meals to students at school is shifting focus because of COVID-19.
The Ontario Student Nutrition Program, administered by VON Canada, used to provide healthy meals to schools, but it is now delivering about 400 meals per week right to the child's home.
Program Manager Stephanie Segave says with school being out since March, some students in the program were going without healthy meals.
"It is a huge concern and if we can grow it and support our local chefs and farmers, it is such a win-win-win, one of the positive things out of all of this that is happening right now," she says.
According to Segave, the plan was already in the works to expand the program in the fall, but the pandemic pushed the need to the forefront.
She says the expansion was possible because of some local chefs who stepped forward to help.
"We reached out to a few additional chefs out in the community whose businesses were hurting a little bit because of COVID and we are purchasing meals from those chefs."
Segave says the expansion of the program also helps local farmers.
"We have had a long time vision to increase the purchasing that we were doing from local farmers, we know that it is a win-win and we were ready to make this happen and the stars aligned and we were able to get this off the ground quicker."
The program kicked off two weeks ago and will run until mid-July.
It is funded through the province, as well as charitable partners like the United Way, the Windsor-Essex Community Foundation and Breakfast Clubs of Canada.
Anyone who believes they qualify for the program should contact the VON at 519-437-5191.