For Jessica Duncan, there’s nothing like fresh grains, fruit and hot water to start the day.
“I’m the porridge lady, [a] firm believer in the power of the mighty oat,” says Duncan.
The former school teacher turned businesswoman is the owner of Singing Bowl Granola. Duncan takes pride in making vitamin-rich meals and also giving back. So five years ago she reached out to a nearby school.
“I ended up donating some fifty bowls of porridge to George Jay Elementary,” Duncan exclaims. “That was a great hit,” Duncan adds.
After that, she was hooked, and the entrepreneur started thinking expansion.
“So I wanted to do more so I asked Graham and Neil from the Blue Heron Advisory Group if they’d like to sponsor a hundred bowls of porridge and they said no we’ll sponsor one thousand,” beams Duncan.
“She was looking to make a difference to the community by providing hot breakfast to the school district and for kids in need and we just thought that was a great idea,” says Blue Heron investment advisor Neil Chappell.
Chappel and the team at Blue Herron cover food costs while Duncan has volunteered countless hours in feeding up to 3000 students a month across the Greater Victoria area. For Neil, there’s a personal connection with the program.
“I’ve got five kids in town and they all go to school here so it’s a great thing to support,” says Chappell.
Jeff Duyndam is the principal at Tillicum Elementary, one of the many schools that benefit from the program.
“It’s an incredible project that has helped so many of our Tillicum families and we’re so grateful,” says Duyndam.
It’s a banker with a big heart and an altruistic oat lover making a difference one bowl at a time.
“To know that they’re getting such a healthy breakfast or lunch is just amazing,” says Duncan.
For more information on the program, visit Singing Bowl Granola’s website.
Cole Sorenson
