La Cantine dans les écoles: A collective effort to feed children throughout Quebec

In a previous blog post, we discussed an issue that unites a large portion of the Quebec population: ensuring that all children have access to nutritious meals at school. According to a poll conducted by SOM for La Cantine pour tous, 88% of Quebecers want all children to have access to healthy meals in elementary school.

This raises an important question: Which organizations make these meals possible in Quebec schools?

This year, more than 80 new elementary schools are joining the La Cantine dans les écoles program. The network now includes more than 250 schools. Nearly two million meals are expected to be prepared and served by social and solidarity economy organizations throughout Quebec this year.

Behind these numbers are about 50 organizations and hundreds of dedicated individuals. Together, they ensure that thousands of children eat a healthy meal every day.

This second article introduces these key players and highlights the strength of the La Cantine dans les écoles program network.

An initiative born of collaboration

To better understand the La Cantine dans les écoles program, we need to go back to its beginnings.

The project was born out of a shared desire: to make healthy, affordable meals accessible to children. It also aims to support a sustainable, community-based approach.

From the very beginning, one idea has guided the project: food security is too important an issue for any single organization to tackle alone. We must therefore work together. Sharing resources and knowledge has become a key way to advance school feeding programs in Quebec.

In 2019–2020, a pilot project was launched in three schools. Two catering companies prepared meals for the students. This initial trial allowed the model to be tested and paved the way for future efforts.

Today's event, more than 80,000 students can order a healthy and affordable meal through the program, which includes 51 social and solidarity economy organizations spread across 14 regions of Quebec.

We’ve come a long way. But the goal remains the same: to ensure that children eat well at school, regardless of their background or family circumstances.

Different organizations, a common goal

The strength of the network lies largely in the diversity of its members. These organizations do not all have the same primary mission, the same size, or the same experience. However, they share a common goal: to contribute to food security and the well-being of children.

The network includes food banks, volunteer centers, social and professional integration organizations, cooperatives, and community organizations that provide food services.

Some organizations have extensive experience in preparing and delivering meals. Others are more experienced in community support, job placement, or local development.

This diversity is a strength. It allows us to bring together different skills and better meet the needs of each community.

Each member therefore contributes in their own way to a shared goal: making healthy, affordable meals available to a growing number of children throughout Quebec. Because eating well should never be a privilege.

A network based on member participation

La Cantine pour tous, acting as the program’s operator, does more than just connect schools and meal providers. The nonprofit organization is also built on a community-based, democratic structure that gives its members a prominent role.

To become a caterer under the La Cantine dans les écoles program, an organization must be a member of La Cantine pour tous. This allows it to participate in the organization’s activities and contribute to its direction.

This approach makes it possible to build a true network of partners. Members are not just meal providers; they also contribute to the project’s development and to discussions about the organization’s future.

Sharing resources and knowledge enables each member to build capacity. Participation in governance also gives organizations a voice in a project that extends beyond their own activities.

This approach also contributes to local development. By working with organizations that are well-established in their communities, the program supports teams, jobs, and initiatives that have a positive impact on those communities.

Every meal served at school is therefore the result of a collective effort. Several hundred people and dozens of organizations join forces to achieve a common mission.

Going Further, Together

The development of La Cantine dans les écoles would not be possible without the involvement of numerous organizations committed to food security, as well as school staff.

From meal preparation to coordination and distribution by daycare staff, every participant plays a vital role. This collaboration makes it possible to serve more schools and build a model tailored to the realities of different communities.

La Cantine pour tous is much more than just a network of caterers. It is a collective that relies on collaboration, resource sharing, and member participation to develop accessible and sustainable school meals.

Because eating well at school shouldn't depend on where you live or on the ability of a single organization to take action.

And because the strength of a network also lies in its ability to bring together different stakeholders around a shared vision.

Alone, we go faster; together, we go farther.

It is this conviction that continues to guide La Cantine pour tous, one meal at a time.