THUNDER BAY -- Expanding a school breakfast program will help make sure the city's next generation grows up healthy.
The Canadian Red Cross has been running a student nutrition program for 80 schools in the region. But it's getting some help from the Regional Food Distribution Association in a bulk purchasing program so that more of its meals will come from local sources.
"There was a natural connection there for us to take this initiative forward," Red Cross Thunder Bay's Rob Kilgour said.
RFDA director Volker Kromm said making sure the next generation is well-fed is important.
"This is a really good fit because that's also our mandate; to change lives," he said. "Not only feeding people but providing the right kind of food."
Belluz Farm, one of five local food producers involved, owner Kevin Belluz said with so much food from supermarkets being trucked in from thousands of kilometres away a lot of kids today don't get the chance to eat food fresh from a farm.
"It's really nice to give people that opportunity to see what food really should taste like in my opinion when it's fresh and nutritious," he said.
The program serves breakfast, snacks and lunch and relies entirely on volunteers.
