Last school year, Home and School associations at dozens of Ontario schools ran hot lunch programs that quietly changed how their communities work. They raised thousands of dollars in fundraising — without asking a single parent to sell wrapping paper or cookie dough. Some schools used that money to upgrade their playgrounds. Others funded field trips, bought new classroom supplies, or put money toward after-school programs. A few set aside funds to make sure every child at their school could eat a hot meal on lunch day, no questions asked.
Those schools were OFHSA member schools. And most of them were running their lunch programs on LunchUp.
Today, that relationship is official. LunchUp is now the official lunch platform partner of the Ontario Federation of Home and School Associations (OFHSA).
What OFHSA Is (And Why This Partnership Matters)
If you’re involved in a Home and School association in Ontario, you probably already know OFHSA. Founded in 1916, the Ontario Federation of Home and School Associations is the oldest parent-teacher organization in Canada. Their mission hasn’t changed much in over a hundred years: support parents and educators working together so every student gets the best possible experience at school.
OFHSA member schools span the province — from small-town elementaries with a hundred kids to busy urban schools with five hundred. What they share is a group of parent volunteers who show up, year after year, to make things better.
Running a hot lunch program is one of the most impactful things a Home and School association can do. It feeds kids a real meal. It raises money the school actually needs. And when it’s done right, it doesn’t burn out the two or three parents who make it happen.
What OFHSA Member Schools Have Already Accomplished
This partnership didn’t start with a handshake. It started with schools.
Over the past year, OFHSA member schools using LunchUp have seen what happens when a lunch program just works. Every order placed by a parent automatically generates fundraising for the school — no tracking spreadsheets, no cash envelopes, no chasing anyone down. The money shows up in the school’s account every week.
And those dollars have gone to real things. Schools have improved their libraries, replaced aging gym equipment, funded music and art programs, and covered costs for class trips that would have otherwise been cut. Some schools used their fundraising to support school-wide events — the kind of things that bring a community together but always seem to need more budget.
Then there’s the part that matters most. Through LunchUp’s Sponsor a Meal program, parents can contribute an extra meal at checkout for a student who needs one. Schools manage distribution privately. No child is ever identified. No one has to ask. For families going through a hard stretch, it means their kid eats the same hot lunch as everyone else, and nobody knows the difference.
That’s what a lunch program can actually do when the logistics aren’t eating up all the energy.
What the Official Partnership Means for Your School
Being OFHSA’s official lunch platform partner means LunchUp is committed to serving Ontario’s Home and School communities — not just providing software, but actually showing up for schools.
OFHSA member schools get:
Priority onboarding. Your school can be set up and live within 24 hours. Send us your class list and we handle everything else.
A dedicated account manager. One person who knows your school, coordinates with your vendors, and picks up the phone when you need them.
Zero cost. No setup fees, no transaction fees, no subscription. LunchUp is completely free for schools — always has been.
Built-in tools for every family. Sponsor a Meal, configurable subsidies for families in need, system-level allergy protection, and non-food fundraiser sales — all in one platform.
We also work directly with OFHSA to understand what Home and School associations need from a lunch platform. When a school tells us something could be better, we build it. The email blast feature, volunteer recruitment tool, and Home and School portal all came from conversations with real volunteers at real schools.
Keeping Costs Low for Families
One thing Home and School volunteers tell us a lot: families are already stretched. The last thing anyone wants is a lunch program that feels like another expense.
LunchUp charges vendors nothing to be on the platform. No commission, no listing fees. Because of that, restaurants consistently offer lower menu prices to LunchUp schools than they would through other channels. That saving goes straight to parents.
When more families can afford to participate, more kids eat well, more fundraising is generated, and the whole program becomes something the school does together — not something only some families can access.
Getting Started
If your school is an OFHSA member and you’re thinking about starting a hot lunch program — or switching from a system that’s wearing your volunteers thin — we’d love to help. Visit the LunchUp × OFHSA partnership page to learn more, or reach out directly at ofhsa@lunchup.ca.
Every kid deserves a hot meal with their name on it. And every Home and School volunteer deserves a program that doesn’t take over their life.
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