Anne Rea is a firm believer that children need food before going to school.

She learned this as a daycare operator in Vancouver for 25 years before moving to Vernon. And she鈥檚 continued to reinforce the belief as founder and coordinator of the Breakfast Program at Harwood Elementary and W.L. Seaton Secondary schools.

鈥淜ids are not going to learn if they鈥檙e hungry,鈥� said Rea in her office at Faith Baptist Church, where she coordinates the two programs with help from a small army of church volunteers.

The need continues, 20 years after Rea began the program at Harwood in January 2004, then expanded it when the Harwood students left for the hallowed halls of Seaton, in 2009.

鈥淲e鈥檙e doing more food now than when we started,鈥� said Rea, whose crews make nearly 180 sandwiches per day for Harwood, and prepare for a minimum of 100 students every morning at Seaton. 鈥淭he numbers have increased significantly.鈥�

Rea will be on hand this Saturday, Jan. 20, and hopes to see many former students, parents, and staff as the Breakfast Program celebrates 20 years with a special event from 1 to 4 p.m. at Faith Baptist Church, 3908-27th St.

If you remember having toast off the snack cart at Harwood, or a bagel at the Seaton breakfast counter, or a hot dog at the church on Tuesdays, you鈥檙e welcome to attend. So, too, is the public.

COVID changed the way the breakfast program is conducted at Harwood. The volunteers used to operate at the school. Now, things are done in the church basement.

鈥淣ow, we have to bag things,鈥� said volunteer Sheila Robinson, joined at the bag numbering table last Friday by volunteer Lynn Greenaway. 鈥淲e come in and set up. The kids have three choices of sandwiches: cheese, jam, or just plain butter. The staff gives us a list of what the students prefer. We put out the stuff that needs to be done in the kitchen, and we put out the bags.鈥�

Greenaway got involved with the program, seeing it as a chance to work in a ministry.

鈥淚 still love doing this,鈥� she said. 鈥淕oing to the school initially was so much with all the kids there.鈥�

At Seaton, students can enjoy four kinds of bagels, toast, English muffins, along with cream cheese, jam, peanut butter and butter. There are also hard-boiled eggs, granola bars, yogurt, juice, or, on days when a cold snap hits, like Friday, Jan. 12 with the mercury reading -23C, hot chocolate.

At both schools, fruit is always available.

Seaton kids also get a chance to enjoy Hot Dog Lunch Wednesdays. Students only get 40 minutes for lunch but because the school is just a few blocks away from the church, they can wander down and pick up hot dogs with all the trimmings (including sauerkraut and onions), or macaroni and cheese, vegetarian chili, tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, soup, egg mcmuffins, and/or sausage rolls.

The church and the school district provide funds for the program, and local businesses such as Cobs Bread, Save-On-Foods, Safeway, Real Canadian Wholesale Club and Bulk Barn donate items for the program.

The program, said Rea, wouldn鈥檛 be possible without community support and financial help from Faith Baptist Church. It鈥檚 taken her 20 years to get the community involved with donations and discounts.

鈥淲e are so blessed and privileged to be able to provide this for our students,鈥� said Reay, who also believes if every church in the North Okanagan adopted a school, the church could fill a need.

鈥淪chools have to take their fences down and ask the churches in the area for help,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he barriers have been up long enough. Let鈥檚 work together in our communities.鈥�

(Faith Baptist Church celebrates 20 years of the Breakfast Program Saturday, Jan. 20, from 1-4 p.m. at the church, 3908-27th Street, Vernon. Drop in for refreshments and reminiscing.)