Between founding her own company, Kitchen Konnected, her media work with CTV and her work as a realtor, Korey Kealey sure is a busy woman. Korey is also a remarkable leader in our community. We are featuring her partnership with ONFE as part of our Love Campaign.

You may recognize Korey Kealey from her regular CTV appearances, but did you know that Korey is also deeply invested in the Ottawa Network for Education’s (ONFE) mission? Korey has been involved with ONFE and the School Breakfast Program for years. “Christine Lauzon Foley asked me to join the fundraising committee in 2005 and help out with some media engagement and build upon the public awareness of the program. I learned so much at the meetings and became aware of the great needs even in my own kids’ schools that I wanted to see firsthand how the program operated. I became a weekly volunteer at our local school where 60 to 70 kids joined us every school day.” In addition, Korey was a member of last year’s Spark Soirée Committee and joined ONFE’s Neighbourhood as a monthly donor at the 2017 Soirée.

As the founder of Kitchen Konnected, Korey fully understands the importance of a nutritious meal, as well as the importance of a breakfast program. “Parents are busier than ever, and food insecurity is on the rise. Students who feel supported are more likely to be engaged in the classroom and succeed.” In fact, 81% of school principals surveyed in Ottawa agreed that their school’s breakfast program has a positive impact on a student’s attention span.

Through her commitment as a donor and volunteer, Korey is in a perfect position to understand ONFE’s varied program offerings. “It really is a network for learning covering all bases from food and nutrition support and education to Assistive Technology for students with learning disabilities to classroom reading programs. ONFE supports not only students but also parents, educators and schools. I tell others that there are lots of ways to get involved, from being a monthly donor, hosting an event, volunteering, making a corporate donation to sponsoring an event like the Spark Soirée in October!”

Lastly, Korey highlights the perks of becoming a monthly donor: “It is easy and painless to do the automatic monthly donation! I also enjoy the newsletters and updates on where the funds are helping out.” ONFE reaches thousands of students every school year through our programs, an achievement that is only possible thanks to devoted donors and volunteers like Korey!

Throwback time: Korey was instrumental in the creation of this 15-second PSA in 2009, featuring former Ottawa 67’s Corey Cowick.

Did you know that, every year, ONFE reaches 75% of Ottawa schools through its many programs? ONFE needs to raise $1,000,000 from the local community annually to sustain essential programs for K-12 students in Ottawa. You can make a direct impact on the students in our community by becoming a monthly donor, planning an event on our behalf, or partnering with us. Your donation will help a child eat, learn and succeed!