To reduce the impact of the shopping basket on families’ pockets, a grandfather from Sainte-Monique, in Centre-du-Québec, has relaunched the primary school cafeteria service. Together with his loved ones, he wants to offer balanced nutrition to all students.
André Dufresne is a retired chef and decided to reconnect with his passion. He and his daughter relaunched the cafeteria service at the Sainte-Monique primary school, where two of his grandchildren study.
They first took steps to find a caterer who would agree to provide hot meals. The problem is that several companies refuse to launch themselves into this type of service because it is not very profitable in small schools where it is also necessary to ensure the delivery of meals. That was the question in Sainte-Monique.
At dinner time, the entire André Dufresne family is involved in distributing hot meals and ensuring that each student eats to their fill.
“Here we don’t leave anyone without lunch. We feed everyone, whether they are those who have forgotten their lunch or the most disadvantaged families whom we monitor to complete the children’s lunch. Our catering is generous in these portions. We managed to feed more young people and we complemented it with the distribution of fresh vegetables and apples,” explained André Dufresne.
He looked for local partners to help him, such as vegetable farms in the municipality and an orchard in the area.
To keep his project viable, André Dufresne managed to obtain subsidies in the three municipalities where the students come from: Grand-Saint-Esprit, Sainte-Monique and Nicolet. The fundamental activities will also allow us to improve the menu and organize thematic days.
André Dufresne’s family hopes that a large number of schools will have access to a balanced and affordable diet for the well-being of our little ones.
