Tim Hortons' Smile Cookie week is on now until May 5.
The iconic chocolate chunk cookies topped with pink and blue icing smiles are available at participating Tim Hortons restaurants.
100 per cent of proceeds from these special cookies will be donated to local charities including VON's Ontario Student Nutrition Program (OSNP) and The Hospice of Windsor Essex County.
OSNP provides funding and support to 95 schools in Windsor-Essex, aiding the development and implementation of healthy breakfast, snack and lunch programs that support students' health and academic success.
Danielle Findlay, Supervisor Community Relations, VON ONSP says each cookie costs $1.50.
"Student Nutrition Ontario estimates that the cost of a healthy snack for a student is $1.50, so essentially for every cookie bought and sold in our community, it will go to support one healthy snack for a student in Windsor-Essex."
Findlay says students spend most of their waking hours at school.
She says the program is open to all students, regardless of socioeconomic background.
"Students are hungry at school for a variety of reasons everyday. Food insecurity for some households is an issue, but in some instances kids are on long bus rides in the morning. Sometimes for upwards of an hour. Sometimes kids have extra curricular's in the morning and they're just expending extra energy and they're hungry later on in the school day. Kids are growing really rapidly."
She says their program is heavily reliant on volunteers and they're always looking for help.
"We've got parents and community volunteers in schools across Windsor and Essex that help to prepare and shop for nutritious snack items and without them the programs would really be in a challenging situation."
Findlay says this is the second time OSNP has been chosen as a beneficiary to the Smile Cookie campaign.