New Grant Provides Hot Lunch for Vegreville Students

Students attending EICS schools in Vegreville are now eligible to participate in a new hot lunch program thanks to two community partners and Alberta Education.

Through a School Nutrition Non-Profit Pilot Program Grant obtained by Community Association for Lasting Success (CALS) in February, all students who attend St. Mary’s Catholic School and St. Martin’s Catholic School are now eligible to enjoy access to hot lunches multiple times a week. The grant is provided courtesy of Alberta Education, and meals are being prepared by the local Baba’s Best Cooking Co.

Thanks to this grant, both schools’ hot lunch programs will run three times a week at no cost to families for the duration of this school year. This program also complements the Breakfast Club program at each school to ensure students receive nutritious food to help stimulate their learning.

Systemic Wellness is one of the four pillars of our Division Education Assurance Plan. Through this pillar, EICS is committed to providing holistic support for each of our students’ wellbeing in mind, body, and spirit – and nutrition is a vital component of student wellness. Having free access to nutritious food will further enable all students at both EICS schools in Vegreville to stay engaged and ready to learn in the classroom.

Families who are interested in utilizing the hot lunch program for their children can do so through PowerSchool. Note that food must be pre-ordered in advance.