ONEXONE was founded with the philosophy that every life is precious and that as individuals we can make a profound difference in the lives of other human beings, one by one. ONEXONE is therefore committed to increasing nutrition, food literacy, health and scholastic success in First Nations communities.

First Nations currently represent the fastest growing demographic in Canada. This makes it especially concerning that First Nations children are more than twice as likely to live in poverty as the average Canadian. We believe that the Breakfast Program makes a number of important interventions in some of Canada’s most at-risk communities, the most immediate of which is the amelioration of the daily experience of hunger for the children who participate.

A simple breakfast can bring about a big change. There is strong evidence that First Nations people have lowered intakes of many nutrients and that children are most affected by poor nutrition. Inadequate nutrition directly affects the health and wellbeing of children by leading to obesity, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. A study of First Nations children aged 4 to 19 demonstrated that 64% of female children and 60% of male children were reported as obese. Obesity and hunger also exacerbate states of ill-health by making adequate exercise and participation in education more difficult and less likely. This has a brutal domino effect, because children whose education suffers due to hunger are more likely to be poor later on in life as well. For these reasons, ONEXONE believes that delivering a daily breakfast is an integral part of breaking the cycles of poverty and ill-health that plague many First Nations communities.

ONEXONE strongly believes that the elimination of child hunger is the prerequisite for wider social change. We believe now is the time to collaborate with First Nations communities and increase the social investments that enable young Aboriginals to succeed. We thank you for your past support and invite you to join us again in making this change.