The Learning Foundation had another great year helping build futures.
The organization held their Annual General Meeting on Wednesday at the Hastings and Prince Edward Education Centre to look back on the 2017-18 school year.
Two pilot projects were started last year says Executive Director Maribeth deSnoo and both have been very well received.
Food for Home provides gift cards of $50 each for the eight weeks of summer, two weeks over Christmas break and the week of March to families to provide for the purchase of groceries.
Bring Your own Device supplies Chrome Books to secondary school students who wouldn’t be able to afford one on their own.
On the financial side of things, the Learning Foundation has over $1.7 million in cash and assets held in trust according to Treasurer David Clazie.
He says they are trying to build up their accounts to have a year’s worth of funds available in case anything ‘pops up’ and needs the Learning Foundation’s support.
Claude Boily, the Human Resources Manager of the Belleville Kellogg’s told the group, Kellogg’s would once again be supporting the Learning Foundation with $20,000 in cash and food.
deSnoo says the food contribution will bring the total donation to around $50,000.
The Learning Foundation also gave a cheque to the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board for $617,686.
deSnoo says that money represents a number of things.
She says that doesn’t include things like donations of hygiene items, donations from local organizations, gifts in kind and the volunteer hours.
In the 2017/18 school year, there were 455 requests to the Student Emergency Fund fulfilled, 520 backpacks distributed as part of the Good Backpack program, over 1,000 items provided as part of Prom Project and Food for Learning provided 1,005,835 meals and snacks here locally.