A grassroots movement to solve a community crisis. Nourish Cowichan Society grew from a need to feed children. Over 4,100 children in the Cowichan Valley live in poverty – about 30% of children living in the area. A number of them go to school without a meal.
When they learned that children in the valley were going to school without breakfast, Dina Holbrook (former nurse), Fatima Da Silva (chef), and Anita Carroll (community and nursing teacher) were moved to take action. Driven by a passion to support others in their community, they decided to reach out to a local school principal.
The first school. The principal and staff at Khowhemun Elementary were ready for change and already had some of the basic infrastructure in place to offer a breakfast program. By working together, school staff made it easier for the Nourish team to learn how best to structure and deliver their program. Within just a few weeks, the first breakfast program was launched – feeding up to 90 students every morning.
