Cheestrings and Kids Help Phone Team Up to Address Lunchtime Loneliness

A new study commissioned by Lactalis Canada’s Cheestrings found that 68 per cent of Canadian parents indicate their child has experienced social challenges at school, with 49 per cent stating that lunch time is the most challenging time of day. In response to these findings, Cheestrings and Kids Help Phone are joining forces to help address lonely lunches among school children with the No Lonely Lunches campaign. 

Through fall 2024, this initiative will see the Cheestrings logo on each individual product wrapper replaced with the Kids Help Phone 24/7 free, confidential e-mental health service number on the iconic snack to generate awareness of the crisis line. The No Lonely Lunches initiative encourages parents to use the snack as a point of discussion on emotional issues with their own children. Further, the Kids Help Phone-branded Cheestrings also provide children with a means of extending an olive branch to a peer experiencing a lonely lunch by using the snack as a conversation starter or as a simple way to share the important mental health resource.

The Cheestrings survey commissioned by Fuse Insights surveyed 500 Canadian parents with kids between the ages of 10-17.  The survey also found: 

• Nearly half (46 per cent) of children are feeling less happy about the return to school with 77 per cent of these children saying it’s linked to how they get along with classmates and friends.
• Lunchtime was mentioned as the most challenging time of day by nearly half (49 per cent) of children who indicated they are unhappy at school. 
• Interestingly, 37 per cent said their child often starts conversations with kids who look lonely, by sharing snacks.

“Back to school can be a difficult time for children, especially during lunchtime,” said Elyse Horrigan, brand manager, Cheestrings - Ficello. “With the research showing that snacks can be a good icebreaker, Cheestrings is pleased to partner with Kids Help Phone on the No Lonely Lunches campaign that encourages conversation over a Cheestrings snack.” 

“Peer relationships and isolation are some of the top issues young people are reaching to KHP about. More so, our Kids Help Phone data shows that one in three young people who reach out to our service via text feel distressed at the thought of going back to school ,” said Jenny Yuen, senior vice president, strategic partnerships for Kids Help Phone. “Having a safe space to Feel Out Loud can be an important step to showing youth they’re not alone. We’re proud to launch this campaign together with our partners at Lactalis Canada to help and reduce the stigma of mental health challenges and promote help-seeking behaviour among youth, particularly this back-to-school season.”

As part of Cheestrings’ commitment to raising awareness of Kids Help Phone, the campaign will also feature online and out of home advertising with eye-catching, thought-provoking illustrations highlighting some of the challenges kids face today. Cheestrings will also donate $100,000 to Kids Help Phone to help ensure young people in Canada continue to have 24/7 mental health support when they need it most. 

Throughout the fall, Canadians can purchase the No Lonely Lunches-related Cheestrings at major grocery retailers across Canada. To learn more about Cheestrings’ collaboration with Kids Help Phone, visit here.