This summer, 10,000 lunches were provided to children in our community through Every Breakfast Counts. As a result, school-aged children had greater access to nutritious food while school was out.
These record-breaking results demonstrate what local organizations can achieve when they work together. Ultimately, their shared goal is to ensure that children in our community have access to nutritious food.
How the Program Has Grown Since 2018
Every Breakfast Counts launched in 2018. Since then, its goal has been to help ensure school-aged children across Algoma have access to nutritious meals during the summer break. After all, proper nutrition plays an important role in children’s health, growth, and intellectual development.
Over the years, the impact of this community initiative has continued to grow. For example, in 2023, program partners distributed approximately 7,700 meals across 10 locations throughout Sault Ste. Marie, making food accessible to children in need.
By summer 2026, that number had grown to 10,000 lunches. This significant milestone highlights the importance of community partnerships. Moreover, it demonstrates how collaboration can help support local children and families.
Six Community Partners, One Shared Goal
Coordinated by Algoma Family Services, Every Breakfast Counts brings together organizations committed to providing children with nutritious food throughout the year.
In 2026, the initiative brought together the City of Sault Ste. Marie, Algoma Family Services, Sault Ste. Marie Social Services, Urban Indigenous EarlyON, Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, and Harvest Algoma.
Through this collaboration, the partners help address food insecurity. In addition, they strengthen the support available to families throughout the community.
To learn more about Every Breakfast Counts, visit the City of Sault Ste. Marie’s Every Breakfast Counts page. Want to support this program? Consider making a donation through the Algoma Family Services Foundation.
Help Us Make an Even Greater Impact
Every lunch provided represents an opportunity to support a child’s health and well-being. However, this work would not be possible without the commitment of community partners, donors, and people who believe everyone deserves access to nutritious food.
As a registered charity, Harvest Algoma is working to make a lasting difference in our community by rescuing surplus food, reducing food waste, and connecting food with the people and organizations that need it.
With your support, we can continue this work. Additionally, your contributions help strengthen initiatives like Every Breakfast Counts and other programs that support individuals and families across Algoma.
Together, we can help ensure that more children and families have access to the nutritious food they need to thrive.
Want to make a difference? Harvest Algoma is now officially a registered charity. This exciting milestone strengthens our ability to rescue and redistribute surplus food throughout the Algoma district. Today, we support 71 food banks, pantries, programs, and social service agencies. As a result, we help strengthen our local food system and improve access to nutritious food across our community.
Donations made through the Harvest Algoma website are now processed through CanadaHelps. This allows donors to automatically receive an official charitable tax receipt. Therefore, if you’d like to support our work, visit harvestalgoma.ca/donate.