A Growing Community Effort
The Ottawa Network for Education is expanding its school breakfast program this September, adding 15 new locations that will support 1,300 more students every day. It’s a natural next step for an organization that already helped feed just over 22,000 kids across 232 local public schools during the 2025-2026 school year, an increase of about 6,000 students from the year before.
Director of Programs Stephanie Craze says more Ottawa families are turning to the program than ever, and the organization is determined to meet that need head-on.
Partners Making It Possible
The program runs in partnership with the Breakfast Club of Canada, which supports schools across the country as breakfast club attendance continues to climb. Dennise Yarema, the organization’s senior program advisor, says schools are working hard to keep up, but the community support behind these programs is what makes the expansion possible.
A Boost From Ottawa to Coast to Coast
The Ottawa Network for Education’s work is also getting a lift from the federal government’s National School Food Program, which announced in June that it will reach up to 400,000 more kids nationwide this school year. Funding for the program has doubled to $140 million annually, giving local organizations like ONFE more room to grow their reach.
Looking Ahead
Craze says the need for these programs isn’t slowing down anytime soon, especially as new schools open and enrolment grows across the city. If anything, she expects the breakfast program to keep expanding right alongside Ottawa’s classrooms.
For families and volunteers alike, it’s a heartening reminder that when a community rallies together, every student gets a better shot at a good day, starting with a good breakfast.
