Access to nutritious food is foundational to children’s health, learning and wellbeing, yet many kids don’t have enough to eat.
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kids → have → enough
In 2025, nearly a third (30.8 per cent) of Canadian children under the age of 18 — about 2.4 million children — lived in a food-insecure household.
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third → live → household
Of those, 78 per cent were living in moderately or severely food-insecure households.
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cent → live → households
Food insecurity means that someone doesn’t have regular or adequate access to nutritious food — and even those with a home and a job can be food insecure.
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those → mean → home
High living costs, low wages or unstable income can all contribute to food insecurity.
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costs → contribute → insecurity
For children, food insecurity is linked to poorer mental health and academic outcomes.
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insecurity → link → health
Canadian research has found that children experiencing severe food insecurity are less likely to meet expectations in reading and math.
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children → find → reading
It’s also associated with higher rates of mental health concerns, including anxiety.
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It → associate → anxiety
“Through the conversations we have with schools and community partners, we continue to hear that access to nutritious food plays a critical role in a child’s ability to learn, grow, and thrive,” said Shantelle Rhynold, executive director of President’s Choice Children’s Charity.
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Rhynold → have → Charity
“By helping ensure children have access to the food they need at school and beyond, we can support better outcomes today while creating opportunities for a healthier future.
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we → help → future
We are deeply grateful for the Canadians whose generosity makes this work possible.
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work → make → Canadians
President’s Choice Children’s Charity (PCCC) works to improve access to nutritious food for children across Canada through public school nutrition programs.
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Charity → work → programs
As a charitable organization, PCCC is funded through a combination of corporate support, customer donations, fundraising campaigns and contributions from individual and corporate donors.
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PCCC → fund → donors
Its national signature program, Power Full Kids™|Eat Well, is feeding kids in nearly 2,200 schools across Canada.
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program → |eat → Canada
Loblaw is PCCC’s founding partner, helping to mobilize a vast network of stores, customers, vendors and colleagues which has raised more than $150 million for the charity since 2018.
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which → found → 2018
As kids head back to school, one way Canadians can make a meaningful impact is by rounding up their purchase at checkout to support PCCC and help improve children’s access to nutritious food.
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Canadians → head → food
When you round up your purchase at your local Loblaw or its banner stores — including Real Canadian Superstore, Zehrs, Wholesale Club, Dominion, Your Independent Grocer, Valumart, Fortinos and Maxi — 100 per cent of that donation goes directly to PCCC to support Power Full Kids™ programming at your local school.
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cent → round → school
Rounding up is entirely optional and serves as a simple way to make a collective impact.
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Rounding → round → impact
Donations help local schools provide healthy meals and snacks and support nutrition education, so contributions benefit children right in your own community — and beyond.
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contributions → help → community
In the 2025-2026 school year, PCCC invested $12,697,939 to provide 84,565,152 meals and snacks in the province, supporting 1,134 Ontario schools and 587,258 kids.
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PCCC → invest → schools
Loblaw stores and customers played a big part in that by raising and donating more than $6.8 million to PCCC in 2025, helping the charity reach its goal of feeding one million children annually.
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charity → play → children
Children who participate in Power Full Kids™ programming have access to meals and snacks four days per week from September to June.
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who → participate → June
Meals include at least one serving of fruits or vegetables, plus one serving of whole grain or protein per day, aligning with Canada’s Food Guide and/or Canada’s Food Guide for First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
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Meals → include → Nations
Power Full Kids™ programming also provides food skills, activities and resources that teach kids to grow and cook, while helping educators with program delivery.
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that → provide → delivery
Every child deserves the opportunity to learn on a full stomach, and school food programs help children learn and thrive.
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children → deserve → stomach
Find out more about the PCCC program and its impact by visiting www.pcchildrenscharity.ca and make a difference by rounding up the next time you shop.
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you → find → difference
The Aporia
