Northumberland Food For Thought
Eat, learn, succeed!

That’s what student nutrition programs in Northumberland County are all about.

Hi! My name is Beth Kolisnyk and I am the Community Development Coordinator for Northumberland Food for Thought.

Last year close to 6000 students in Northumberland County benefited from a breakfast, lunch, or snack program at school. These programs are open to all and promote healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.

Looking for a way to help your local school community? Interested in spending time with a fantastic group of dedicated volunteers? Then contact me to find a school in your area!

By coming together with a common goal... we can make sure that students in Northumberland County receive the food they need to be ready to learn.

Donate Now
All donations are made through Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit.  The Health Unit provides NFFT with in-kind accounting services.  All donations are used by NFFT to assist Northumberland County Student Nutrition Programs.donatenow4 (2)

Fruits of their Labour

Published October 17, 2016 | By admin

– 100-Mile Diet Event Organizers Again Deliver the Goods to Support Student Nutrition Programs –

(NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY) – It’s fitting that proceeds from an event held to showcase the variety of foods grown in Northumberland will be used to serve up a taste of home to students in the area.

Members of St. Andrew’s United Church in Grafton recently donated $1,025 to Northumberland Food For Thought (NFFT). The money was raised from the 100-Mile Diet Event organized by the church this past September in Grafton and will be used by NFFT to purchase local fruit for student nutrition programs in Northumberland County.

The donation is one of the largest that St. Andrew’s members have ever made to NFFT in the nine years they have been organizing the 100-Mile Diet Event. The annual event lets local growers and farmers showcase their fruits, vegetables and other products made and produced in Northumberland.

“We’re very pleased to be supporting local farmers and growers, as well as helping ensure local students don’t go hungry and have the food they need to learn to their full potential,” says Bev Silk, one of the 100-Mile Diet Event organizers.

NFFT Community Development Coordinator, Beth Kolisnyk, welcomes the continued generosity. “Fresh fruits are a healthy food for helping students learn in class, and the fact this fruit is locally-grown really fits in with the spirit of the church’s fundraising event,” she notes.

Northumberland Food For Thought (www.northumberlandfoodforthought.ca) is the non-profit partnership that supports 53 student nutrition programs at 34 schools across Northumberland County. Some schools provide a full sit-down breakfast before class, while others feature snack bins delivered to classrooms from which students can choose something to eat. Whatever form it takes, the goal of the nutrition program is to ensure students have enough to eat to learn in school. All programs are free, and open to any student.

Local student nutrition programs receive financial support from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services through its local agency, the Peterborough Family Resource Centre. Community donations like that from St. Andrew’s are also important for ensuring student nutrition programs can continue operating and making a difference each day.