Mahmood Khattak rummages through a cupboard at Bramalea Secondary School and drops a bag of dry lentils, a sack of rice and tins of diced tomatoes into a carton at his feet.

No, he won’t be turning these ingredients into a meal himself, laughs the Grade 9 student.

“But I’ll do the dishes.”

There’s not much money for groceries these days for Mahmood, his two sisters and his mother, whose only source of income is disability benefits. That’s where his high school’s new “sharing pantry” has stepped in to make a difference.

In the school cafeteria, Zack Lowe, 14, says the raw vegetables and pasta on today’s menu for the bagged lunch program — prepared by students earning volunteer hours — will give him energy and help him focus for afternoon classes.

Other supports, ranging from the clothing bank to the “Contact program” — which provides a space for kids who have trouble coping in regular classrooms to take a break or work on their own under the supervision of a teacher — make it “a really cool school” that includes everyone, says Zack.

To Grade 10 student John Groat, “it makes us feel as if they care about us.”

With the income gap growing across the GTA including in Peel Region, schools are increasingly under pressure to provide not only academic support for students but help beyond the classroom.

As schools like Bramalea Secondary have found, achievement can be directly linked to student nutrition, their ability to focus and whether youth feel included in their school community.

The Brampton high school, with 1,050 students from a cross-section of socioeconomic backgrounds, is one of Ontario’s 37 “urban and priority high schools,” which means it gets extra funding to boost the odds for at-risk students by providing food programs and other anti-poverty initiatives.

Getting that designation a decade ago doubled the school budget, allowing staff to organize a range of wraparound services for teens and their families aimed at increasing their chances of learning, says teacher Lana Del Maestro, who co-authored the application and helps oversee the programs.

This year’s grant of $265,000, down from the previous $350,000, helps fund everything from two full-time child and youth workers to daily breakfast and lunch programs, and a four-day annual leadership camp for Grade 9 students in Haliburton that gets kids outdoors, making friends and building school spirit.

It means that last year, 213 students benefitted from an assortment of certifications, free of charge and offered on school grounds, that will give them a better shot at part-time jobs. They included a babysitting course, First Aid, Smart Serve and food handling.

Most Thursdays during lunch hour, dozens of students crowd into a room off the cafeteria to take turns spinning tunes at seven turntables provided through the popular DJ4Life program, which teaches them to mix music. In one corner, kids mentored by a local barber give haircuts to anyone in need of a trim.

Last year, 80 per cent of Bramalea students were involved in lunchtime activities like these and intramurals in the gym run by a co-op university student, which means they weren’t hanging out at the mall or at risk of not returning for afternoon classes.

According to student surveys conducted twice a year, the impact goes beyond having a full stomach and new skills. Youth overwhelmingly reported the services helped them feel more engaged with their peers, school and community.

“You can walk through our halls and see how it’s working,” says guidance counsellor Julia Colton. “There are so many more supports we can give our kids.”

Data collected over the years also reveals the programs make a difference. In 2013, “we decided the best way to find out was to ask the kids themselves,” says Colton. The school launched “attachment surveys” conducted in October and May to monitor students’ experience.

The first results came as a shock, she says. While students provided positive feedback for the programs, the survey revealed needy youth had been falling through the cracks. An additional 50 kids — on top of those identified by staff — reported struggling with hunger and poverty.

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The surveys, confidential but linked to each respondent’s student number, ask them to indicate whether they are affected by such barriers as lack of access to computers at home, hunger, financial stress, family issues and mental health.

Responses have helped the school set priorities, such as launching cooking classes run by the City of Brampton after students identified that need.

Principal Fraser Kidd, who has been at Bramalea for two years, calls it “a hidden gem” and says the programs generate interest during presentations at feeder schools.

This year Grade 9 enrolment grew to 280 new students from 219 last year. Graduation rates have increased since the urban school grant and so has the average number of credits students earn each year, while absenteeism declined, according to school statistics.

Kidd credits the dedicated staff who organize programs, oversee budgets, sign up volunteers, make sure supplies are in stock and often donate items or fundraise themselves. They are also attuned to their community and quietly approach students and parents they suspect could use help, whether it’s the family who recently lost their home in a fire, or others dealing with a death or job loss, says Del Maestro.

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It’s still dark when educational assistant Nancy Banks flicks the lights on in the school kitchen to start prepping food for the breakfast program, soon to be joined by a squad of students earning volunteer hours.

Banks teaches at Parkholme School for teens with developmental disabilities, which is on the Bramalea site. Three days a week she and two other staff help their nine students whip up banana bread, muffins and other treats for the meal programs.

“It’s been a nice undertaking for the kids because they’re giving back to the community that gives to them,” says Banks during a baking session, as Theresa Ragnanan, 18, measures flour and Stefano Bearzot, 18, stirs ingredients for granola bars.

Bramalea students also like the opportunity to contribute while earning volunteer hours.

“I think it’s great I can help other kids in school who don’t get breakfast,” says Grade 9 student Maham Ali, as she and two other volunteers flip grilled cheese sandwiches on the griddle, while another pair load a trolley with apples, oranges and milk cartons and roll it to the cafeteria.

Equity consultant Chris D’Souza says provincial dollars that support programs like this are important at a time when public schools should be striving to “level the playing field for marginalized students.” While he applauds the urban and priority high school grant, D’Souza says he’d like to see the number of schools receiving it double down the road.

School success is often judged by such measures as EQAO scores but those only capture part of the picture, he adds.

“If a student is feeling more connected to their school experience and garnering life skills that are going to help them maintain careers and put food on the table, then that has to be considered successful in and of itself.”