Brantford, ON, October 25, 2022 – When children and youth are unable to access proper nutritious foods, it not only affects their physical and mental well-being, it has a negative impact on their self-esteem, in-classroom behaviour and their overall ability to learn and succeed in school. Local universal student nutrition programs, supported and facilitated by Brant Food For Thought, do more than help alleviate in-school hunger; they set students up to maximize their learning success by providing equitable access to healthy breakfasts or nutritious snacks during the school day. This principle remains at the core of Brant Food For Thought’s mission.
Pictured above (L to R) front row: Rick Petrella, Board Chair, Brant Haldimand-Norfolk Catholic DSB (BHNCDSB); Giovanna Oviedo-Kinrade, Vice-Principal, St. Gabriel School; Judy Maidment, Community Development Coordinator, Brant Food For Thought; Jennifer McLaren-Gibbons, Principal, St. Gabriel School; Gisèle Budgell, Program Director, Brant Food For Thought; Julie Losani of Losani Homes; Emidio Piccioni, Leadership Coach & Cultural Liaison, Losani Homes; Glenn Gaudet, Board President, Brant Food For Thought; Lorrie Temple, Superintendent of Education, BHNCDSB.
Back row (L to R): Raghu Sampath, Losani Homes; John Anthony Losani of Losani Homes; Bill Chopp, School Board Trustee, BHNCDSB and Mike McDonald, Director of Education, BHNCDSB.
“With food insecurity on the rise in our community and many families still struggling with the rising costs of food and other essentials, today’s investment of $12,500 from the Losani Family Foundation, through the Hamilton Community Foundation, to build the capacity of student nutrition programs is tremendous,” expressed Gisèle Budgell, Program Director of Brant Food For Thought. “We are truly grateful for their ongoing support, which tops $22,000 with this latest donation”.
Brant Food For Thought Board President, Glenn Gaudet, shared his earliest recollection as a 12 year old young man hired to help around the job site by Lino Losani of Losani Homes. “They treated me like family, and four decades later, that generosity still extends and has transitioned to an entire community.”
Guests from Losani Homes were on hand at St. Gabriel Catholic Elementary School in West Brantford to officially launch the school’s nutrition program, which included expressions of gratitude by the students, special artwork and a tour of the new student nutrition program. “It seemed fitting to designate this recent donation from the Losani Family Foundation to a school in an area where Losani Homes has active building sites,” continued Budgell. “This investment will go a long way in supporting the purchase of nutritious foods, in addition to equipment and infrastructure that is critical to safe and efficient program operation at the school.”
Losani Homes feels an obligation to serve the needs of people, particularly in the regions where they are leaders in the building industry, creating award-winning communities. They have a longstanding tradition of giving that continues to this day. Borne out of the philosophy of Losani Homes founder and patriarch, Giovanni Losani never forgot the generosity of the local Italian church that provided his young family with much-needed assistance when they arrived from Italy so many years ago, with very little in the way of material goods. Forever etched in his mind, Giovanni vowed that, in the future, when he was in a better position financially, he would do his part to give back as well.
Although involved in charitable projects globally, on the local level, the Losani Family Foundation primarily has three areas of focus, namely, addressing the needs of children, food scarcity and assisting women at risk of violence.
“In contributing to Brant Food For Thought, the Losani Family Foundation is supporting all three areas of focus,” expressed Emidio Piccioni, Leadership Coach and Cultural Liaison at Losani Homes. “Food is a vital resource which families cannot do without, and specifically supporting nutrition in schools assists children in their learning. If children are hungry, they are unable to focus at school. The Losani Family Foundation is very proud to support the people and community of Brantford.”
St. Gabriel School Principal, Jennifer McLaren-Gibbons, expressed her gratitude to the Losani Family Foundation. “Thank you for making a difference and sharing in our commitment to help students learn and feel supported. It really does take a village.”
In the inspiring words of Maria Losani, wife of Giovanni, “It is truly our duty to help others.”
Pictured above: Gisèle Budgell (center) presents a Brant Food For Thought apron, as a token of appreciation to John Anthony Losani and Julie Losani.