Regina Public School Division Food Insecurity

The Jaleta Pacers choice of charity from the proceeds of the 2025 Royal Road Race will be going to Food Insecurity at Regina Public Schools’ Kitchener and Thomson schools.

A number of Regina school students experience food insecurity. This affects a student concentration, memory, mood, and motor skills, all of which are needed for students to be successful.

School staff at some schools, including Thomson and Kitchener schools, may start each morning with a check-in with students about anything they need to know that might impact a student's learning. This could include: “Have you eaten something? When? How was your sleep?”

Thomson School benefits from the Thomson Food Collective, a grassroots initiative that brings families and community members together to reduce food insecurity and improve access to healthy, affordable options. The daily breakfast ensures children are nourished and ready to learn and reduces the stigma that often surrounds food support. The Thomson Food Collective enhances cultural wellbeing by creating inclusive spaces where diverse food traditions and practices are respected and celebrated.

By engaging families, caregivers, staff, and community partners in shaping and leading initiatives, such as the Food Collective, school staff and their community partners ensure that solutions come directly from the grassroots level, empowering our community to take ownership of its wellbeing. This approach embodies the true spirit of community development.

With the support of these funds, Kitchener School will continue to grow its commitment to ensuring that every child who needs a meal receives one - every single school day. The funding will allow school staff to expand daily meal and snack offerings, ensuring no student goes hungry during the instructional day. Additionally, this support will strengthen the school’s emergency food resources, providing quick and reliable access to nutritious options for students and families facing unexpected hardship. These efforts are vital to supporting the health, well-being, and academic success of the Kitchener School community.

Over the course of a school week, approximately 20-30 percent of students may line up for an emergency lunch. The schools are grateful to community partners who provide schools, such as Thomson and Kitchener with food for the students, as school budgets do not cover emergency food needs.

Regina Public Schools recognizes that students can’t learn at their best, regulate their emotions, and process social situations if their tummies aren’t full. Staff and community volunteers at many schools, do whatever they can to support these students.

Regina Public Schools is grateful for organizations, including the Jaleta Pacers and the Royal Road Race – and its contributors and participants for providing generous, ongoing support to combat food insecurity in Regina’s public schools. To learn more about their work, please visit: www.reginapublicschools.ca

Note: Tax receipts will not be issued for donations less than $25.