Quebec School Meal Demand Rises Amid Growing Needs

In recent years, Quebec has experienced a significant surge in demand for school meal programs, sparking concern among charities and government officials. Edar La is one of the schools participating in LA's food school program, which supports students who may rely on these meals as their primary source of nutrition for the day. The charity aimed at providing affordable meals has reported a drastic rise in the number of students requiring assistance, serving approximately 35,000 children across 107 schools in the previous year. This year, the charity is extending its reach to 142 schools and an additional 10,000 children, but there are still 84 schools on the waiting list for services. Factors contributing to this increase include the high cost of living, which many families struggle to cope with, resulting in greater reliance on food banks. To address these pressing issues, the Quebec government has allocated $34 million for school food programs over the next five years. Additionally, the federal government announced a substantial investment of $1 billion aimed at creating a national school food program. The charity hopes to benefit from these investments, but until that becomes a reality, it has launched an awareness campaign to inform the public about the pressing need for food support as the new school year begins.