Hunger. It’s Closer Than You Think.

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In BC, more than 1 in 4 kids don’t have enough to
eat and hunger lives in every community. 

$25 fills a bag of food for a child in your community this weekend. 

29%

of BC children face food insecurity

+1,500

hungry kids are on the Backpack Buddies waitlist

The ever-increasing cost of rent, household expenses and childcare has created an affordability emergency, and it has hit children the hardest. 

From the last bell on Friday until school starts on Monday, thousands of BC kids who count on school meal programs during the week face a weekend hunger gap.

Backpack Buddies fills this gap with food for the weekend: bags with 8 ready-to-eat meals, snacks, and fresh produce are tucked into backpacks as kids head home every Friday.

Schools quietly identify students who need help, volunteers fill the bags of food in our warehouses, and delivery trucks transport thousands of bags of food to nearly 400 BC schools every week.

Every $25 covers one child’s meals for the entire weekend and brings us closer to our goal of providing food for 6,800 children this year.

$25 is all it takes to provide food for a child for the weekend and $100 fills their backpack with food every weekend for a month.

Give Today

Your Impact

Your donation brings us closer to our goal to feed 6,800 children this year – 800 more than last school year.
Every online donation goes towards:

Food

hearty meals, fresh fruit & veggies, milk, nutritious snacks, and more – easily accessible food for growing kids.

Logistics & Transportation

869,863 pounds of food moved through our warehouses and on our trucks last year

School & Community Outreach

 building our network of Buddies so more kids get the food they need

Every week, kids in 78 BC communities at nearly 400 schools will have the food they need to learn and grow.

Hunger Lives in every BC Community. Backpack Buddies is there to help.

Sometimes life takes unexpected turns that change everything. For some, that means facing hunger for the first time in their lives.

Mikayla and Alex, ages 5 and 8, haven’t always experienced hunger. But that changed when their dad, Tim, passed away from cancer. Suddenly, money was very tight, and meals became uncertain.

That’s when Backpack Buddies stepped in. With food every weekend, Mikayla and Alex don’t have to worry about hunger on top of their grief. 

“It’s a huge weight off my shoulders,” their mom told us. “I feel so much more secure knowing Mikayla and Alex will have snacks for school tomorrow or food over the weekend.” 

Identifying images and details have been changed by Backpack Buddies to protect the privacy of families who have generously shared their stories with us.

Last year, single dad Craig got full custody of his two girls, 12-year-old Jaden and 10-year-old Gwen. After years of uncertainty, the girls finally had a safe and stable home where they could grow and flourish. 

But as they worked together to build their new family, finances were tight – especially at first. Craig did everything he could to make sure the girls had what they needed. 

But sometimes it wasn’t enough.

When Jaden and Gwen started their first year at a new school, they discovered Backpack Buddies. The weekly bags of kid-friendly food became a source of consistency and nourishment they could count on.

“Knowing Backpack Buddies was in our corner made building our new life together so much easier.” – Craig

Identifying images and details have been changed by Backpack Buddies to protect the privacy of families who have generously shared their stories with us.

Mason is an active 13-year-old living in Southeast BC with his mom, Kendra.

Poverty is an issue across the province. But for single moms like Kendra, it’s even more acute. With a tough job market and the soaring cost of living, it can be difficult to pay rent, keep up with expenses, and put food on the table.

Sometimes when there wasn’t enough, Kendra skipped meals so Mason could eat.

But then Mason started receiving Backpack Buddies.
Backpack Buddies provides bags full of food every Friday so kids like Mason have enough to last the weekend.

“Since he started getting Backpack Buddies, Mason doesn’t have to worry anymore about when and where his food is coming from,” says Kendra. “It means so much to me to know someone is out there, looking out for me and my family.”

Identifying images and details have been changed by Backpack Buddies to protect the privacy of families who have generously shared their stories with us.

Give Today to Put Hope on the Table for Hungry Kids

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