The Grocery Foundation’s #Toonies4Tummies will return on January 16th. Last year's campaign drew over 129K visitors in 12 weeks and rallied Canadians to give $4M in donations in 1,400 stores.

According to the foundation: With food insecurity, a national issue and over 1.4M children living in food-insecure homes, support through sponsorship and donations matters more than ever and is directly benefiting school-aged children and youth helping improve their physical and emotional health and contributing to their academic success. Support also helps foster school community, which is vital today for children, many coming from challenging situations.

Key facts from The Grocery Foundation

• One in three children in Canada is now at risk of going to school on an empty stomach.
  
• It’s estimated two million children may now be at risk of going to school on an empty stomach, double the number prior to the pandemic.
• Research shows that when children get adequate nutrition and regular physical activity, academic achievement improves.
• Not eating enough food containing essential nutrients is linked to lower grades and school attendance rates.
• Studies have found children who attend breakfast programs benefit from positive role modelling and attend school more frequently.