Make Happy Tummies™: Nourishing Children, Shaping Futures
Built on years of proven impact, Make Happy Tummies (formerly Toonies for Tummies™) helps Canadian children start each school day nourished, confident, and ready to learn.
A healthy breakfast does more than fill a tummy. It fuels a child’s body, steadies emotions, and unlocks the ability to focus, participate, and believe in themselves. For the 1 in 3 children in Canada who arrive at school hungry, that first meal can make the difference between feeling left behind and feeling capable, included, and hopeful.
By nourishing children when it matters most, Make Happy Tummies helps build the foundation for healthier bodies, stronger minds, and brighter futures. The impact extends far beyond the classroom—shaping confidence, resilience, and opportunity that last a lifetime.
Every donation creates moments of joy and dignity: the smile of a child ready to learn, and the pride of donors who helped make it possible. While the need is urgent, the act of nourishing a child is powerful, meaningful, and truly life-changing.
Join us in making every breakfast count.
The Heart Behind Make Happy Tummies™
“Our students, staff, and community are very thankful for your generous donation to our student food program. This important gift directly supports our students, ensuring that they get the healthy food they need daily to focus and succeed. We truly appreciate your commitment to fighting student hunger and supporting healthy kids in our community.”
Principal Sally R.
Make Happy Tummies, 100% Every Time
While we have a new name and look, what has not changed is our commitment to ensuring that 100% of every donation you make to Make Happy Tummies be it in-store, at participating restaurants, or online will continue to benefit a local child.
Happy Tummies Matter
Hunger affects more than a child’s appetite — it affects their confidence, focus, and emotional well-being. A growing body of research shows that childhood hunger is closely linked to increased stress, anxiety, and challenges with mental health, making it harder for children to learn and thrive.
Through the programs we help fund, we hear the same message again and again from volunteers, educators, community leaders, and partners: when children have access to a healthy breakfast, they arrive at school nourished, ready to learn — and noticeably happier.
Your support helps create more than full tummies. It helps build brighter mornings, stronger confidence, and better days for children who need it most.
Together, we can ensure every child starts the day with the nourishment — and the chance — they deserve.
Student nutrition programs don’t just fill tummies; they create a sense of community among the kids. For families like mine, they mean stability, support and the reassurance that our kids are getting what they need to thrive. I’m grateful for the compassion and the positive difference this program makes.
– Grateful Parent
Every morning here in Toronto, thousands of students walk into their schools carrying backpacks, notebooks… and sometimes empty stomachs. This is why local student nutrition programs provide more than 258,000 healthy meals each day, helping kids start their day ready to learn. These programs are made possible through a combination of public investment and community support.
As more and more children rely on these meals to get through the day, the demand for nutrition programs here continues to grow, and the need for funding has never been greater. That’s why support from the Make Happy Tummies 2025 campaign — including a $275,007.68 donation to the Toronto Foundation for Student Success — is making an immediate difference. It supports approximately 137,503 healthy meals, helping students start the day with full, happy tummies and the nourishment they need to thrive in school. It’s amazing what happens when communities come together to help make sure kids can build bright, healthy futures.
– Catherine Parsonage, CEO, Toronto Foundation for Student Success
Happy Tummies Feed Possibilities
A hungry tummy also affects your emotions and your ability to regulate them. Providing healthy breakfasts in a welcoming and inclusive space promotes a hungry child’s sense of safety, opens them up to a world of possibilities. (Source)
Happy Tummies Are Good for Everyone
Healthy and happy tummies are optimistic and joyful. They embody the limitless imagination and potential of a child eager and able to make the most of their day and beyond.
