Community Steps Up For Finnegan’s Breakfast Club In Cloyne

Jeff Green | Jan 17, 2024

Ever since North Addington Education Centre opened in 1970, High School students have made their way over to the store just off the property before school, during breaks and lunch.

And since the store became Finnegan's four years ago, the stream of students to and from the store has picked up even more.

Store owner Stephanie Regent has seen the students come and go over that time, and as she has gotten to know the kids, she has realized that not all of them were eating properly in the morning.

“You can kind of tell over time that some of the kids could use some help,” she said.

Even though there is a well-established breakfast program far all kindergarten to grade 12 students at the school, not all of the kids make full use of it, so Regent has been picking up some items (granola bars, fruit, muffins, cereal boxes etc.) and quietly handing them out.

“I was doing that in the fall, and over Christmas I decided to set something up at the store,” she said.

So last week she put up a post on Facebook asking people to contribute to a food table she was planning to put in.

The response has been very strong.

Donations of food have been flowing in, and there is now a small display at the store, with signs telling kids they are welcome to take what they need, no questions asked.

“The first two days after we set it up were snow days, so it wasn’t until Thursday and Friday last week that kids started coming in and using it. It has been well received by our customers, who have been saying they will be bringing donations in for it.”

There are two things that Regent is adamant about, however. The first is that the Finnegan’s program is meant to complement the school’s breakfast program, not compete with it. She encourages her customers to donate directly to the breakfast program through the parent council at NAEC.

“What we are doing is just for the high school students, because they can leave the school grounds, and the school breakfast program is for the whole school. What we are doing is for those students who for any reason are not likely to use the school program, and who come to the store before school starts and on their breaks. The food is here all day,” she said.

Her other big issue with high school students: they need to be on time for class.

“That has always been a demand I make of them. They need to be back in the school by 8:25 in the morning, and after recess and lunch. They cannot be here when they are supposed to be in class.”

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