Ontario

Sheila orchestrates a community chorus for her kids

June 1, 2022

Hunger in Sudbury, On, like in many of our communities, is closer to home than most people realize.

“I don’t think people can truly understand it without seeing it first-hand” explains Sheila Nosich, Administrative Assistant at Holy Cross Catholic Elementary School. “Sometimes you take for granted that everyone is eating three meals a day or has a warm bed but that’s not reality for some.”

Sheila describes her community as, “small and tight-knit, where everyone helps each other out.” So, when an influx of new Canadians arrived in the area, the Holy Cross school community quickly identified a need for a universal school meal program – that’s where President’s Choice Children’s Charity came in.

Power Full Kids, the charity’s new signature program, reaches children in communities across Canada, providing them with regular meals and snacks and education that teaches them to grow and cook. By participating in the program, Holy Cross can provide more well-rounded meals, for more children. For Sheila, the benefit is obvious, “It totally changes their behavior and improves focus.” Sheila explains “I’ve had students in the past that could be a little disruptive in class. I discovered they weren’t getting enough to eat at home to have a proper breakfast. Once I offer a snack and they gobble it up, you can see an immediate positive change and they are ready to start the day.”

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“This program lets us build relationships. The kids know they can count on us and feel comfortable to tell us that they are hungry, and it’s ok. That means everything to me.”

Sheila helps facilitate the program, but gives all the recognition to the dedicated volunteers who do all the heavy lifting. Each week, five current and former school community parents and grandparents work hard to ensure the 415 students receive the meals and snacks they need. “It’s really a team effort - they meal plan, grocery shop and prepare the meals every week. Some of the parent volunteers don’t have children in the school anymore but they choose to stay on to help out.”

But for Shiela, its more than providing a meal, she also wants to make sure each student feels important and loved. To her, that’s the best outcome.

“This program lets us build relationships. The kids know they can count on us and feel comfortable to tell us that they are hungry, and it’s ok. That means everything to me.”

For more information on Power Full Kids in-school nutrition programs or to apply, click here!