ONEXONE recently visited École Amishk in Mashteuiatsh, Quebec

December 4, 2014

An Richardson, Program Director of the First Nations School Breakfast Program (FNSBP) and Kara Peet, Coordinator of the FNSBP, visited École Amishk in Mashteuiatsh, a First Nations reserve just outside of Roberval, Quebec, this past Tuesday, November 25, 2014.

An said that this trip was especially important because “when we go to the school’s we have a better feeling about how the program works,” citing that “you can actually see strengths and weakness of the program and then take that model to another community.”

As an example, École Amishk is able to implement a successful breakfast program without a full kitchen and this is a model that could be implemented at other schools with similar limitations. An went on to describe that “the breakfasts are made by the school’s crossing guards. In French, they’re called brigadiers.”

After the children are successfully helped off the bus in the morning, École Amishk’s crossing guards begin assembling the healthy breakfasts in the school. The breakfasts are then placed on rolling carts, which ONEXONE’s donation helped the school purchase. The breakfasts are delivered to each classroom where the children eat at their desks, before their daily lessons and activities begin.

An reports that there are 226 students at École Amishk and each one receives a healthy breakfast every school day, thanks to ONEXONE’s First Nations School Breakfast Program.

An remarked that this recent visit to École Amishk was also an important one for strengthening ONEXONE’s relationship with partners Sedexo, a food services and facilities management company, who provide an in-kind donation of $1.10 per student, per day. This donation, matching ONEXONE’s contribution, provides the school with breakfast bars, cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, and apple juice, while the remaining food comes from a local IGA.

This was the first visit to École Amishk that ONEXONE made, since the breakfast program started there in June and An and Kara received a lot of positive feedback. An was also happy to report that ONEXONE’s donation made it possible for the school to purchase a new refrigerator this year.

She reports that the students were happily making Christmas decorations when they visited, that the school has fabulous art work and that it is a great environment for the students to learn in.

NT3