Vision Vancouver and NPA both pledge school breakfast programs
Vision Vancouver says if reelected, it will double the size of the Vancouver School Board’s breakfast programs.
Currently, 650 students at 12 different schools have access to the programs, Mayor Gregor Robertson said at a news conference today (September 18). Next term, Vision vows to double that to 1,300 kids, through $400,000 in city funding.
“Right now the program relies entirely on charity and last year’s program had a $60,000 funding shortfall, so we want to be sure that feeding kids is not an afterthought, and that there’s a stable commitment from city council to support this important program,” said Robertson.
In a news release, the NPA stated that if elected, mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe plans to develop nutrition programs in partnership with other organizations.
“From the day I announced my candidacy in July, I vowed to tackle this problem, which is nothing short of shameful in a city as wealthy as Vancouver,” LaPointe said in the release.
The mayoral candidate said he grew up in poverty in a single-parent household, and went to school hungry many mornings.
“Gregor Robertson and Vision had ample time to tackle this serious social issue,” LaPointe stated. “A compassionate city government invests in its kids. I don’t see the current Vision team doing that.”
Vancouver School Board chair Patti Bacchus said the current budget for the school breakfast program, which is reliant on charitable funding, is about $200,000.
“Even at that, it is running about $60,000 short,” she said as she stood next to Robertson. “So this would enable us to double the program and possibly further…to provide stability and consistency [so] that if the donors don’t come through if there is a gap, that we can say there is funding there.”
In its election platform released today, the Green Party of Vancouver said it plans to seek opportunities to increase access to hot lunch and breakfast programs in schools.
Comments
3 Comments
Vancouver mama
Sep 18, 2014 at 10:06pm
That's great - but what about the inner city hot lunch programs that have all been scaled back to just a few schools. Kids may be able to get breakfast, but they're on their own from there. One things right though- in a city as wealthy as vancouver, it's a damn shame.
Jason
Sep 19, 2014 at 9:00am
So Vision does nothing for 6 years on the issue - then when the NPA announces they are going to focus on a program so that children don't go hungry, suddenly Vision jumps all over it and claims they are doing the same.
On the bright side, at least the mayor found an issue to talk about that is actually under is control....even if he just copied his opponent.
Bill McCreery, Vice Chair TEAM
Sep 20, 2014 at 12:25pm
This Vision Van announcement is such a disgraceful show of a shameless, blatant attempt to buy votes with taxpayers money. I sincerely hope that people see through this shabby effort.
As well Vision Van is also buying votes across the spectrum in a host of special interest groups, again using taxpayers money. For example, the City of Vancouver now gives out literary awards and urban design awards, somethings already covered by other organizations.