Fresh Food Explorers Program aims to get kids loving fresh food

DURHAM, ON - HelloFresh—Canada's leading meal kit provider—launched the Fresh Food Explorers Program which offers funding and support to charities across Canada helping kids experience, experiment with, and learn to love fresh food.  One of this year's recipients is Elephant Thoughts,  a charity that supports positive change through education and opportunity with a focus on sustainability. The charity works with youth across Canada including more than 100 Indigenous schools in communities annually.

"We work to deliver engaging programs and introduce vulnerable students to food literacy, culinary arts and regenerative agriculture," says Abby Stec, Director of Business Development. "We maintain strong working relationships with social agencies dealing in food insecurity to ensure disadvantaged children and youth receive the same opportunities as others."

The $10,000 donation from HelloFresh Canada will support the Elephant Thoughts community garden that will produce three thousand pounds of food in Ontario and support regenerative agriculture projects in New Brunswick. Collectively, over 1000 community members will access these initiatives, including upwards of 500 youth in their respective provinces. Elephant Thoughts programs also help to support other non-profit organizations with access to healthy fresh food.

"We're really excited to be working with Elephant Thoughts and provide support through our Fresh Food Explorers Program, which empowers kids across Canada to try and love fresh ingredients," says HelloFresh Director of Culinary, Corby-Sue Neumann. "We know that learning about food is as important as learning to read or write, but that this can be overlooked. We want to change that."

Studies show it can take 8-15 tries before kids like new foods, and that lower-income families minimize food waste risk by buying familiar foods—often calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods.

"Our goal is to provide access to safe, nutritious food for vulnerable populations in Ontario and New Brunswick. We strive to increase capacity and create sustainability for Indigenous peoples in the region by reclaiming their traditional food sovereignty practices. It is also a priority that we provide access for individuals with all types of disabilities; especially those individuals who have been disproportionately affected by the negative impacts of COVID-19." says Abby Stec.