More than 900 meals served to Cape Breton students as part of new program

Since Good Friday more than 900 meals have been served to Cape Breton students who relied on school meal programs.

These are students who would normally be served meals like breakfast at school free of charge, but since schools have been shut down due to COVID-19 they haven't been able to get those free meals.

That changed a week ago when apilot of the virtual school meal program was setup. It allows students to order a meal they want from local participating restaurants which is then delivered to their door or available for pick up.

Ten schools in the communities of Glace Bay, North Sydney, and Sydney Mines are currently a part of the program.

"Knowing the poverty rates here in Cape Breton, understanding the immediate need for people this just made sense to be the right place to start the pilot. And again we're hoping for success and we're hoping to extend this if the need is there and we think it is," said Geoff MacLellan, MLA for Glace Bay.

Program helps local restaurants

MacLellan saidrural restaurants are benefiting from the estimated $300,000 program.He said they coulduse the business right now, which also factored into the decision to start the pilot in these communities.

The food for the program is provided by Thyme Savour, Subway North Sydney, Sweet Side of the Moon Bakery and Caf, and Subway Glace Bay.

Students order their meals through Click2order.ca, a Cape Breton startup company. A $10-a-day-meal credit isavailable to eachstudent. Students who do not have access to the internet can call a hotline.

Delivery to the door is available where possible, but there are also pick-up locations for the students, parents or guardians.

Students must meet the same criteria for the regular school lunch program to access the meals.

More than 350 students have already signed up for the program.

"[It's]a good start, but we obviously want many more to come," said MacLellan.

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