TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO:
WHEREAS children cannot learn when they are hungry;
WHEREAS an estimated 1 in 4 Canadian children do not get enough food;
WHEREAS food insecurity in Ontario is at an all-time high, affecting students and families;
WHEREAS over one million Ontarians visited food banks in the past year, and one in three food bank users are children;
WHEREAS no parent should have to choose between paying the rent and packing food for lunch;
WHEREAS many community-run school food programs are operating with insufficient funds and are struggling to meet the demand for nutritious food;
WHEREAS Canada is the only G7 nation that does not have a national school food program or national standards;
THEREFORE WE THE UNDERSIGNED petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to:
Sign onto the National School Food Program so that all Ontario kids can get the nutritious food they need to learn and grow, and families struggling with food insecurity can get some relief.