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About Us

LEARN MORE ABOUT FEEDING CANADIAN KIDS

Over 1 Million Canadian Kids Go To Bed With Empty Tummies...

food se·cu·ri·ty
noun
noun: food security
  1. the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.

Who We've Fed

Together, we have provided 156,448 nutritious dinners to the following kids programs in Ontario:

  • Albion Neighbourhood Services (Rexdale)
  • Beyond 3:30 Bliss Carman Middle School (Scarborough)
  • Beyond 3:30 Brookview Middle School (Toronto)
  • Beyond 3:30 Carleton Village Middle School (Toronto)
  • Beyond 3:30 Charles Gordon Middle School (Scarborough)
  • Beyond 3:30 DA Morrison Middle School (East York)
  • Beyond 3:30 Dixon Grove Junior Middle School (Etobicoke)
  • Beyond 3:30 Dr. Marion Hilliard Middle School (Scarborough)
  • Beyond 3:30 Emily Carr Middle School (Scarborough)
  • Beyond 3:30 George Syme Community School (York)
  • Beyond 3:30 Greenholme Junior Middle School (Etobicoke)
  • Beyond 3:30 Iroquois Public School (Scarborough)
  • Beyond 3:30 Joseph Brant Public School (Scarborough)
  • Beyond 3:30 Lawrence Heights Middle School (North York)
  • Beyond 3:30 Maple Leaf Public School (North York)
  • Beyond 3:30 Military Trail Public School (Scarborough)
  • Beyond 3:30 Portage Trail Community School (North York)
  • Beyond 3:30 Smithfield Middle School (Etobicoke)
  • Beyond 3:30 Tecumseh Public School (Mississauga)
  • Beyond 3:30 Valley Park Middle School (Toronto)
  • Eastview Community Centre (East Toronto)
  • Flemingdon Park School Age & Family Centre (Toronto)
  • Girls Inc. (Newmarket)
  • Kerr St. Mission (Oakville)
  • Nelson Youth Centres (Burlington)
  • Simcoe Hall Youth Centre (Oshawa)
  • St Mary’s Boys & Girls Club (Toronto)
  • Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Club (Toronto)

Metrics Behind Our Ask

A minimal cost of $2.50 can feed one hungry tummy and provide a good night’s sleep and a brighter tomorrow.

Learn More

Learn more about Feeding Canadian Kids by viewing our 2022 Annual Report and Case For Support:

Our Mission

We feed hungry Canadian kids a nutritious dinner to fill their tummies so they sleep well, leading to success in school and healthy futures.

Our Vision

To ensure the success of future Canadian generations by eradicating food insecurity. We do this by providing healthy dinners for the children who rely on breakfast, lunch and snack programs. We fill the dinner gap, so they go to bed nourished.

Our Values

Accountability

First and foremost, we are accountable to the kids we are feeding. Always remembering that we are stewards of the charity and being accountable to our community of families, donors, and partners.

Collaborative Relationships

Everyone has a valid point-of-view and value to contribute. Mutual respect and reliance across our diverse team will deliver the best results possible.

Resourcefulness

Our mindset is to do more with less…we will work with what we have and continue to operate as lean as
possible.

Commitment

We will make a difference – one kid at a time! We act with passion and compassion.

Accessibility

Every kid in Canada should have access to nutritious food. We will champion access and affordability
through action and education.

Who We Are

Our Executive Team is a diverse group of devoted professionals who offer their experience, passion, and network to support our needs.

John Young, Our Co-Founder & Chairman
John Young is the Chief Executive Officer of Boat Rocker Media, a global entertainment company that creates, produces and distributes premium content for all platforms. John is the Chair of the Board of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, and a member of the Boards of Caldwell Partners and SIR Corp. He has also served on the Boards of Golf Town, Sporting Life, Toys R Us and on the Advisory Board of ONEX Partners L.P. John’s proven passion for helping at-risk youth fulfill their potential makes him an invaluable leader of Feeding Canadian Kids.
John Young
Our Co-Founder & Chairman
Jessica Roelink, Co-Founder and Executive Director Feeding Canadian Kids
Jessica Roelink, Charity Founder and former Executive Director at Dress for Success Toronto & Dress Your Best charities, began her life journey of serving those less fortunate back in 2000. Jessica has received both the Volunteer of the Year Award from the City of Toronto and Flare magazine’s Canadian National Volunteer Award; however, she insists that the very people she helps inspire her and that her volunteers drive her achievements. Jessica also received a nomination for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Award and a nomination for Toronto’s Top 40 Under 40.

As a teenager, Jessica went from volunteer of the month to Director of Operations at a local clothing bank, and by her early twenties was turning professional clothing into a charitable movement. In 2001, Jessica founded her own charity using her entrepreneurial spirit and passion for volunteering as tools to garner success for almost twenty years in the non-profit sector. Although Jessica originally studied Construction Engineering, she never entered into the construction industry as she was too busy building a great charity that today, continues to improve the lives of thousands of disadvantaged Canadians.

“I was alarmed when I learned that 1 in 6 Canadian children face food insecurity every day, this drove me to found Feeding Canadian Kids. I am confident that our strong network of partners and volunteers will empower us to address this pressing issue.”
Jessica Roelink
Our Executive Director & Co-Founder
Steven Pelton, Our Vice-President
Steven Pelton is the President and CEO of Aegis Brands. Prior to this, Steven was the CEO and one of the co-founders of the Landing Group, a Southern Ontario based upscale casual restaurant concept. Steven is vastly experienced in the food services business and large company environments and with this, he paired Feeding Canadian Kids with its founding restaurant partners, the Landing Restaurants who continue to provide healthy dinners to children throughout the GTA. This, in combination with being a father and knowing the pressures of providing for a family, has Steven’s head and heart well-aligned with the mission of Feeding Canadian Kids.
Steven Pelton
Our Vice-President
Adriana Urtasun, Our Fundraising Director
Adriana is a sales and fundraising leader with a specific focus on technology transformation. With 25 years in Sales and Business Development, she has driven sales in technology companies and driven fundraising efforts at the Heart + Stroke Foundation afor 7 years. Adriana serves on the Advisory Board of tiptappay - a touchless payment solution for charities. Adriana came to us first as Host family volunteer, she and her family fed another Toronto family dinner every Saturday in 2022. Wanting to get more involved in the elimination of "the dinner gap for Canadian Kids", Adriana transitioned to our Board Adriana's passionate about ending food insecurity and the mental health of all Canadians.
Adriana Urtasun
Our Fundraising Director
Simar Ubhi, Our Website Developer & Designer
Simar Ubhi is a Computer Engineering student at the University of Manitoba as well as a Schulich Leader with a passion for creating positive change. As a self-taught website developer, he founded Developers of Change, a non-profit focused on assisting other non-profits and small businesses with their website needs. Simar is a member of Team Canada, representing Canada in the Web Technologies category for the 2024 World Skills competition taking place in Lyon, France. His journey with Feeding Canadian Kids began during his high school years, driven by a commitment to empower children facing challenging circumstances.
Simar Ubhi
Our Website Developer & Designer
Gina Faturos, Our Secretary & Treasurer
Gina Faturos is a Senior Program Analyst at the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. With almost 15 years of experience in the Ontario Public Service, Gina has worked for the Family Responsibility Office, the Ministry of the Attorney General, and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Before joining the public sector, she was involved in Marketing and Sales Operations in the private industry, where she contributed to an array of business improvement projects and initiatives.

Gina's expertise in working with individuals in need makes her an invaluable asset to Feeding Canadian Kids. She ensures that the needs of children, their families, and communities remain our utmost priority.
Gina Faturos
Our Secretary & Treasurer

Our Advisory Board

Tasheen Shabab, Advisory Board Member
Tahseen is the cofounder and CEO of Cybersecurity startup, Penfield.AI. Penfield.AI is backed by a number of top institutions, such as 500 Startups, University of Toronto’s Creative Destruction Lab, University of Waterloo’s Velocity and DMZ’s Rogers Cyber Catalyst Program.

Tahseen graduated from the University of Waterloo in Electrical Engineering and has since been a Cybersecurity consultant for firms like IBM, RBC, a Top 3 Canadian Financial Services firm, Fortune 60 Telco in the US, a North American government organization, and more. Tahseen was the lead developer of a Cybersecurity cloud solution, AppScan Source on cloud, which was used by many Fortune 500 companies. AppScan was Top 3 on Gartner’s Magic Quadrant in 2014.

Tahseen previously founded Tapaplate - a social home cooked food sharing platform for young professionals and millennials in Toronto. Tapaplate was launched in the Canadian App Store in January 2017.

Tahseen regularly speaks at Cybersecurity/AI conferences and has been featured alongside leaders from firms like Microsoft and Lockheed Martin. Tahseen holds 3 awards from University of Waterloo and 2 awards from IBM.

Tahseen’s drive to help Canadian children stems from his own journey. As a first generation immigrant, Tahseen feels extremely grateful for the opportunities provided to him by fellow Canadians. As such, Tahseen is eager to pass on that love by supporting our future leaders – Canadian children. He sits on the Feeding Canadian Kids Advisory Board as our Technology Director.
Tasheen Shabab
CEO, Penfield.AI
Rudyard Griffiths, Advisory Board Member
Rudyard Griffiths is a television broadcaster with Bloomberg TV and a senior fellow at Munk School at the University of Toronto and a philanthropic advisor to family led foundations in Canada.

He is past president of the Peter and Melanie Munk Foundation and currently serves as a philanthropic advisor to Galen Weston Snr and the Weston Family Foundation. Rudyard also is the co-founder and Chair of the semi-annual Munk Debates. For over a decade he was the founder and executive director of the history and civics charity the Dominion Institute which merged with the Historica Foundation in 2009 to create Historica Canada. Rudyard is the author of the 2009 Globe and Mail Book of Year, Who We Are: A Citizens Manifesto and has edited two dozen publications on international relations, public policy, history and politics.

He has been a columnist at the National Post and the Toronto Star and a TV anchor for Bloomberg TV Canada and CTV News Channel and a business news commentator for CBC News Network.

He holds a Master of Philosophy from Cambridge University where he was also a doctoral candidate.

Rudyard is also a busy father of two children and as a hand’s on Dad he knows the dedication it takes to shop and prepare highly nutritious meals for his kids. Rudayard welcomes being an Advisor to Feeding Canadian Kids.
Rudyard Griffiths
TV Broadcaster,
Bloomberg TV
Dan Park, Advisory Board Member
Dan is CEO of Clutch, an online auto retailer transforming the way consumers buy cars. Clutch has emerged as a trusted brand and an exciting alternative to buying a car either from a traditional dealership or privately from an individual.

Prior to joining Clutch, Dan was General Manager and Head of Uber Eats Canada. During his time at Uber, Dan led the extraordinary growth of Uber’s food delivery platform, UberEats, in Canada, which now services hundreds of thousands of customers in over 50 cities across the country.

While leading the team at UberEats, Dan partnered with Feeding Canadian Kids. As an integral part of our model, UberEats as our delivery partners, complete the process by ensuring delivery of meals to hungry kids throughout the GTA. Dan is also a loving husband and father of one, his passion as a dad also adds to his determination to successfully help Feeding Canadian Kids fill empty tummies to ensure brighter futures across Canada.
Dan Park
CEO, Clutch
Theresa Buset, Advisory Board Member
Theresa Buset is the VP of Human Resources at DDB Group Canada. Over the last 14 years, Theresa has been providing insight, leadership and best practices in Human Resources services to some of the premier advertising agencies in Canada. With a Bachelor of Administration and Commercial Studies, concentrating in Human Resources and Psychology from Western University and in addition to obtaining her CHRL, this prepared her to partner with the strong creative personalities leading the agencies in this fast-moving field.

As a mother to two school-age children, she understands the struggles some of their classmates can encounter daily, and has resolved to help be part of the solution. Inspired by the mission and goals of Feeding Canadian Kids, Theresa believes that every child deserves an equal chance at educational experiences, and that includes being able to concentrate on their work, not their empty stomach. “Some of the most complex problems can have a simple solution if we work together to find and rectify them.”
Theresa Buset
VP, Human Resources, DDB Group Canada
Joe Rhew, Advisory Board Member
As Senior Operations Manager for Uber Eats, Joe oversees marketplace operations, which serves millions of customers in over a hundred cities across Canada. Joe is passionate about the mission of Feeding Canadian Kids as he recognizes the serious threat food insecurity poses to a child’s development and growth.

Previously, Joe co-founded two start-ups focused on solving problems for the everyday consumer through innovative technology. Joe also worked in the Country Coverage Group at Morgan Stanley and Citigroup in Seoul, covering M&A and equity-side transactions of multinational conglomerates. Joe received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Stephen M. Ross School of Business at University of Michigan graduating with high distinction.
Joe Rhew
Senior Operations Manager, Uber Eats
Rebecca Waterhouse, Advisory Board Member
Rebecca is a Project Specialist with Makeway, making way for community lead solutions. She has been analyzing a wealth of data on social entrepreneurship and successful community development strategies in the Canadian context for the past seven years. This focus has allowed Rebecca to work both at the front-line and as a consultant for a diversity of non-profit and charitable organizations. Rebecca excels at supporting charities in identifying their systems needs and transforming challenges into strategic opportunities. While ensuring each Feeding Canadian Kids delivery occurs as scheduled Rebecca also works to course an organizational path for national expansion.

Rebecca holds a Masters, Philanthropy and Non-Profit Leadership from Carleton University (Ottawa, ON), a Business Degree from St. Francis Xavier University (Antigonish, NS) and is currently pursuing her Sustainable Investment Professional Certification (Concordia, QC).

“The fact that it’s 2020 and Canadian kids continue to go to bed hungry is simply unacceptable. We have the resources, infrastructure and responsibility to solve this distribution problem and its time we do so with the Feeding Canadian Kids model.”
Rebecca Waterhouse
Project Specialist, Makeway
Terry Knight, Advisory Board Member
Terry is the CEO of Karibu Solutions Inc., a company that provides solutions for Canadian employers and migrant workers. He is a migration and communications expert with over 20 years’ experience in helping clients. Terry has a degree in Political Science and NGO Management and a Masters of Refugee Integration from Dublin City University and has worked with refugees and migrants across the globe in areas such as Ireland, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Greece and Canada.

His recent work overseas has focused on operational efficiency, community relations,fundraising and program development including food sustainability programs such as school breakfast programs.

He is an innovator who is involved in a multitude of programs designed to help Canada’s immigrant resettlement efforts, ensuring the integration and self-sufficiency of North American newcomers.
Terry Knight

CEO, Karibu Solutions Inc.

Jeremy Walker, Advisory Board Member
Jeremy is the Managing Director and Head of TD Securities’ Communications, Media & Technology Group. He holds a BA Honours in Economics, is on the Board of Governors at Havergal College and is responsible for the overall stewardship, including establishing the school’s direction and priorities and overseeing its financial and administrative functions.

Jeremy’s professional experience is a valuable asset to Feeding Canadian Kids and as a father of three daughters, he is passionate about feeding children in need.
Jeremy Walker
Managing Director and Head of TD Securities’ Communications, Media & Technology Group.

Volunteer Team

Our devoted volunteer team is made up of variety of community-minded professionals and students. On average, we have over 50 volunteers who cook and deliver food, andwork on projects that coordinate these activities and support our future expansion.

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