Yellowknife (Feb 25/05) - Every day, dozens of Yellowknife children depend on their school for a healthy lunch.

Those hungry tummies are rumbling a little less these days thanks to a much-needed cash donation.

At Weledeh Catholic school, 15 to 20 children are given lunch each day and many others receive healthy snacks.

Not all city schools have formal meal programs, but all are ready to step up to help feed hungry students, as long as the student steps forward to ask for food. Range Lake North school has a snack program consisting of raisins, apple sauce, granola, cheese and crackers for children, said principal Sandra Bowden. Funding comes from parent groups and the Elks Club. Neither N.J. MacPherson nor J.H. Sissons schools have snack programs, but has snacks and sandwiches on hand should a child not bring lunch. Emergency food is on hand at William McDonald and Sir John Franklin schools. Ecole St. Joseph school students are also provided lunch or snacks on an as-needed basis.

Merril Dean, principal of Weledeh Catholic school, said children lack energy, put their heads on their desks and become apathetic without the proper nutrition to get them through the school day.

"Physiologically, you can't learn if you are hungry," Dean said.

The level of need is a sad commentary on this city, said Yellowknife Community Foundation vice-president Leann Tait. She noted Yellowknife has one of the highest average incomes in Canada.

Because of a generous $5,500 donation from the Foundation, BHP Billiton ($500 contributed) and the North Slave Housing Association ($1,000 contributed), six organizations will get a boost to their food programs. "It doesn't fill the need, but it fills the immediate request," Tait said of the donation.

Statistics show that in 2002, 73.9 per cent of Yellowknife households had an income greater than $60,000 and 14.6 per cent of Yellowknife children were living in low income families.

"Our whole purpose was to be a catalyst because a lot of people just don't know at all that the need exists out there," said Tom Hall, foundation president.

"The bottom line is that these kids deserve to have a fair chance and equal opportunity."

Including $1,200 from a court settlement and some of its own money, the Foundation's $5,500 donation was divided between school food programs at Weledeh and Mildred Hall schools, the Salvation Army, Yellowknife Food Bank, an after-school boys' club in Ndilo and the Rotary Club's Kids Ahead Program.

"Part of this money we've received will go to helping purchase more substantive food for the life skills program," Dean said.

The money will also help support a middle school lunchtime mentoring program for students, which is held in conjunction with the Tree of Peace and school counsellors.

The students in these groups meet twice monthly to plan and prepare lunches for themselves and guest presenters.

Yasemin Heyck, principal of Mildred Hall school, said the $900 they received will go towards the school nutrition program.

"That includes a daily lunch program, a snack program and a breakfast program," Heyck said.

Mildred Hall's program costs about $5,000 a year to run, with funding coming from donations from families, businesses and the Breakfast for Learning program.

About 220 students are fed each month at Mildred Hall.

"We have good lunches for the children. Hunger is a basic need and having a good meal is paramount to learning and health," Heyck said.

Capt. Al Hoeft said the Salvation Army serves approximately 27,000 meals each year. It received $500. "We see income support families and also the working poor," Hoeft said.

Eric Bussey of the Yellowknife Food Bank said between 350 and 400 people require food on a regular basis. He attributes the need to the overall expense of living in Yellowknife. The $500 the food bank received will be used toward purchasing food for the program. "We are also working toward getting people more involved in educating people to make wise choices when purchasing food."

The group participates in a range of activities that promote healthy lifestyle and positive personal choices. It also offers nutrition advice and provides healthy food choices for participants.

The Rotary Club's Kids Ahead Program, partially sponsored by the Union of Northern Workers, provides a daily snack to Grade 1 students in Weledeh and Mildred Hall to facilitate better learning. Kids Ahead received $1,000.

The Ndilo after-school club for boys received $553.84.

And where knowledge can feed ambition, about 20 youth gather weekly at the Side Door youth facility where they participate in a range of activities that focus on healthy lifestyle choices and nutrition.