BC Kids Get 8M Meals Through Checkout Round-Up Program

A few cents at the grocery checkout is giving tens of thousands of British Columbia kids the fuel they need to learn.

Through PC Children's Charity's Power Full Kids program, shoppers rounding up their purchases at stores like Real Canadian Superstore delivered 8,386,992 meals and snacks to BC students during the 2025-2026 school year. The program reached 58,243 kids across 124 schools in the province.

The math is simple but powerful. When customers choose to round up at checkout, 100 percent of that donation goes straight to feeding children in their local community. Not a single cent gets absorbed by administrative costs.

"Schools consistently tell us that when children have reliable access to food, they're better positioned to focus, participate and succeed in the classroom," says Shantelle Rhynold, Executive Director of PC Children's Charity. The difference between a hungry student and a fed one shows up in grades, participation, and potential.

The program supports about 10 percent of all school-aged children in British Columbia. Nationally, it has grown to reach approximately 2,200 schools across Canada, delivering more than 144 million meals and snacks to one million children annually.

Since 2018, the charity has nurtured the wellbeing of nearly seven million children across the country. In 2025 alone, Loblaw stores and their customers raised more than $6.8 million for PC Children's Charity.

The Ripple Effect

What starts as pocket change at the register ripples through entire communities. A child who eats breakfast can focus during morning math. A student with access to healthy snacks has energy for afternoon activities. Better nutrition means better attendance, improved behavior, and stronger academic performance.

The collective impact grows with each transaction. Since 2018, the Loblaw network of stores, customers, and vendors has mobilized more than $150 million for childhood nutrition programs.

Schools receiving support provide healthy snacks and meals during the school day, along with nutrition education that helps kids make better food choices. The programming removes a fundamental barrier that keeps too many children from reaching their full potential.

As another school year begins, families across BC are packing backpacks and adjusting to new routines. For thousands of students, knowing lunch is waiting at school changes everything about how they approach the day.

The next time you're checking out, those few cents could be the difference between a child learning hungry or learning full.