The goal of St. John's High School's new cafeteria is to provide "food for thought" for students. Since September, the new Tiger Café has been doing exactly that, offering students low-cost meals.
Breakfast is provided free of charge to students, while hot lunches are available for $2.50; further financial support is available for students who may have trouble with the cost of lunch. The school's lunch room was recently upgraded with high-speed convection ovens and other state of the art food services equipment, a computer system and new tables and chairs becoming a full-serve cafeteria.
The program is funded through the Walter and Maria Schroeder Foundation, who have committed $10 million in funding to three Winnipeg high schools with underprivileged students including St. John's.
"I could probably speak for hours and hours about what this cafeteria is doing for our school," said Principal Doug Taylor. "Our mission at St. John's is looking at ways to disrupt poverty and ensoul our school that's truly what we believe in at St. John's and at Winnipeg School Division."
WSD CEO and Chief Superintendent Pauline Clarke said the project was the result of strong partnerships.
"This has been a partnership with the Walter and Maria Schroeder Foundation, the Province of Manitoba, the Winnipeg School Division and most of all, St. John's High School, to provide nutritious and healthy food to students here," she said. "They're setting the standard of what that looks like, and having it readily available every day."
Student council co-chairs Krancheska Macusi and Jazmin Calumba said the cafeteria has been well used since September.
"Ever since this cafeteria opened, more and more students have been enjoying nutritious meals by our amazing cooks. Especially the lasagna, which happens to be today's special," Krancheska said. "Compared to last year, most of the students just ate in classrooms, or at the McDonald's at Main Street."
Jazmin said the free breakfast program has been a tremendous benefit to students: "The free breakfast for students really helps us, especially for students who haven't the time to eat or those students who can't afford breakfast."
The Walter and Marie Schroeder Foundation's involvement with St. John's goes far beyond financial support. The foundation began its relationship with St. John's through bursaries and scholarships for students, hampers for students on weekends, and hiring community service workers to engage with students and families where school attendance was lagging.
The cafeteria program is one of the final pieces of the foundation's multi-tiered support campaign. Walter's brother, Sig Schroeder, is managing the St. John's meal program on behalf of the foundation. Mr. Schroeder has been handling hiring, food and supply orders, setting up standards and operational procedures, accounts and other management tasks.
"Our foundation believes you can eradicate poverty through education," Mr. Schroeder said.
"The thing is, if you have hungry students, they can't learn very well when you see the look on a kid's face when they get a free meal or even just a free brownie, it makes their day. And it makes my day too."
WSD Trustee Betty Edel thanked the Walter and Maria Schroeder Foundation on behalf of the WSD Board of Trustees.
"Students will benefit for many years by having daily access to healthy and nutritious meals," Ms. Edel said.
The St. John's High School choir provided entertainment for the opening ceremonies.
