It’s a cause Prince Edward County has been behind for 15 years but an impassioned presentation Thursday reinforced why.
Committee of the Whole heard a deputation from The Learning Foundation’s Community Development, Special Events and Grants Coordinator Vicky Struthers about the Food for Learning program and their request that council continue the annual Feed the Meter campaign in downtown Picton through 2026.
Each December, parking in Picton, Belleville and Trenton is free but any money put in meters goes directly to Food for Learning.
The program provides breakfasts and snacks for students at schools across Hastings and Prince Edward.
In Picton, the 2022 Feed the Meter campaign raised almost $2,000.
Struthers shared a very personal story about how the program was vital for her as a child when her family went through a hard time. They had to leave their home in Brighton and move into affordable housing in Trenton.
“And the one thing that I had that was constant during all of that chaotic time in my life was breakfast club. I got to go to school and have a warm meal. And back then, the nutrition guidelines weren’t as strict as they are now so I remember having orange slices and Cheez Whiz on toast which, we don’t see Cheez Whiz anymore in our schools. But, needless to say, what I had was something that was safe and consistent, not that being at home wasn’t safe, it was just, there was a lot of unknowns when you’ve been uprooted from your home that you’ve lived in, grew up in for 12 years.”
Mayor Steve Ferguson called her presentation one of the best deputations he’s heard in a long time.
Though Committee of the Whole was only set to receive the deputation, council voted unanimously for a motion to support Feed the Meter through 2026.
The matter is up for final approval at council’s next meeting on June 27.
