Join Us In Making Futures Bright
Help us ensure students have what they need to succeed.
I was seven years old the first time I entered a school Breakfast Program. My memories of it are profound, as it had a huge impact on my life.
Even at that fragile age, I was deeply conflicted about having to be there. Part of me was hungry enough to know that I needed the program, but the shame and guilt I felt often overshadowed the help I was getting.
In those days, school breakfast programs were much different. Only the “poor kids” participated, and mine was held at a church next to my school. There was no choice in the foods offered, and it often felt like punishment.
My parents cared deeply for me and my siblings, they tried very hard, but the truth was, our home was plagued by substance abuse, the struggles of mental health, and financial insecurity.
Now, in my forties, with a loving husband and three grown children of my own, I think of that breakfast program.
When my daughters were growing up and used the Food for Learning program, I held my breath, remembering my own childhood experience. But as a parent, and in my recent support of the program through the Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Campaign, I am proud to say that it is a completely different experience for students today.
Now, student nutrition is seen as a normal and beautiful part of the school culture. Everyone is included—there is no shame, no guilt, and no stigma. It is just good food, warm smiles, and community. Seeing that shift through a mother’s eyes is why I am so deeply passionate about supporting the HPE Learning Foundation today.
Today, I often wonder how my experience as a child would have been different if I had access to all the programs offered by the Learning Foundation and made possible because of donors like you.
Because of your donations, local school breakfast programs have evolved into the Food for Learning programs we see in schools today.
Last year, Food for Learning provided over 1.8 million snacks and meals to local students. In fact, Food for Learning programs are accessed by an average of over 7,000 local students each day.
When you donate, you aren’t just funding a morning meal or a quick snack. You are giving a child a friendly smile, a sense of belonging, and the security to simply be a kid.
But what moves me most about the Learning Foundation today is how far that care extends beyond breakfast.
As a child, my family’s struggles didn’t stop when I finished eating breakfast, but back then, there was nowhere else to turn. Today, your generosity ensures that when a student needs help past the morning bell, the door stays open. Through Sharing Cupboards in seven local schools, students can discreetly take home groceries and basic household necessities for their families. And when an unexpected crisis threatens to throw a child’s life off course—just like the uncertainties my family faced—the Student Emergency Fund steps in with immediate, critical relief so learning never has to stop.
You aren’t just feeding hungry students—you are building the entire support system I so deeply wished for as a seven-year-old girl.
This holiday season, as I reflect on my childhood and watch my own grown children, I am asking you to stand with local students. Your generous gift ensures that no child ever feels punished or ashamed because they need help.
Please support today to make a real and lasting impact in the lives of students. Thank you for replacing shame with dignity, and for being the hope local children need.
Sincerely,
Danielle Hartin
Tim Hortons Store Manager
P.S. Please join me in Making Futures Bright. Your holiday gift to the HPE Learning Foundation helps ensure every child has the tools, support, and opportunities to succeed.
