The Breakfast Learning Club needs you

The Breakfast Learning Club, which has provided children at three of Penticton’s elementary schools with nutritious breakfasts since 2011, may have to be suspended.

“We’re really desperate for volunteers this year. If we don’t get enough volunteers, I won’t be able to keep the program open,” said Judy Jefferries, who organizes the program for Meals on Wheels.

The program started in 2011 when the Okanagan Skaha School District asked Meals on Wheels to start a breakfast program at Queen’s Park, Columbia and West Bench.

Related: Program fills a need for students

It’s been a great success, according to Jefferies.

“We get reports from the principals, and the teachers, even the students themselves,” she said. “They can’t believe how alert they (students) are in school now. There’s less bullying.”

Jefferies thinks that part comes from the rules for the breakfast club.

“They aren’t allowed to be in the breakfast club unless they use their manners, so what they’ve done is start learning respect for one another. The interaction between the older kids and the younger is really awesome to see.”

She has seen that come in every day and are very shy, not interacting at all.

“They just sit and eat their breakfast and they leave to go to their class. But the next year, they’re the ones that are the leaders, telling everyone what to do,” said Jefferies. “You can see the growth in them, which is really awesome.”

Jefferies is glad to see the students taking some ownership of the breakfast club.

“That is what we are there for, is to stimulate them with interaction with each other, no matter what age or grade they are in and also to make sure they get a really good meal before they start their day,” she said.

But the program doesn’t come without a cost. Jefferies said he gets regular support from McDonalds, who provide milk and muffins, bread donated by Cobs Bread and support from a number of organizations.

Food can range from omelettes to scrambled eggs, pancakes etc.

“They get choices, that’s really good,” said Jefferies. “It costs at least $1,500 per month for each school.”

There’s also a cost in volunteers. Jefferies said she needs at least 20 new volunteers.

“We usually have about 50 to 75 volunteers,” she said. “We usually have about three volunteers per shift per day and we are open five days a week.”

Volunteers come from many directions. Some are parents of children in the school, though Jefferies said there are not as many of those as they would like, while others are grandparents or others just wanting to help.

“They just like kids, or they aren’t near their grandkids, and they just like to be around them,” said Jefferies. “Some of the kids adopt them as their grandparents. It’s really cute.

“It tells you what kind of rapport they get with the kids.”

You can volunteer to help with this program by calling Meals on Wheels at 250-492-9095.