From Our Founders
Hi There!
Through your support of Backpack Buddies you have put hope back on the table for thousands of families across BC this past year.
When you gave, you helped provide hungry kids with a backpack full of food every Friday to last them the weekend and beyond. It’s more than food though…it’s stability for children, less stress for their parents, and hope for entire families as they navigate some of life’s greatest challenges.
For many of these families, your donation means the difference between going hungry over the weekend, or having a full tummy.
As you read this report, our hope is that you will see through the statistics to each child, parent, and family that you have helped this year.
Thank you for putting hope on the table,
Joanne Griffiths & Emily-anne King
Co-Executive Directors & Co-Founders
Geoff Pedlow, Chair
Samantha Tenant, Treasurer
Ayeesha Lalji
Adam Segal
Sylvie Singer
Alison Wilson
Ryan Yada
Joanne Griffiths, Co-Executive Director and Co-Founder
Emily-anne King, Co-Executive Director and Co-Founder
Lorraine Winchester, Operations and Logistics
Vishad Deeplaul, Program Coordinator – Tri-Cities
Laara Losier, Program Coordinator – South Vancouver Island
Diane de Jong, Program Coordinator – Port Hardy and North Vancouver Island
Rachelle MacDougall, Program Coordinator – Central Kootenays
Pat Jenkins, Warehouse and Transportation Manager
Kristoffer Fransson, Warehouse Supervisor
Jeremy Hunka, Media and Communications Specialist
Nicole Conroy, Community Support and Administration Specialist
this includes 8 communities accessed by helicopter and 6 communities supported through our flood relief efforts.
Putting hope on the table across BC
Together, we are putting hope on the table in communities across BC.
Explore the map below to see the different schools and distribution points for our bags of food.
Help During the Hardest Times
Meet Jaime-Lea
When we first met Jaimi-lea and her three children, her husband, Joe, had just stopped working. He had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
“At the time we were struggling because he couldn’t work. We were trying to figure out how to get on welfare and how to move to the city for his treatment. A little after their dad was diagnosed, my kids started coming home with bags of food. That helped beyond belief because the food from Backpack Buddies was a way to make sure the kids always had what they needed when we might not have been able to give it to them.”
The support became even more crucial when Joe passed away in the fall of 2021. As the family’s sole income earner, Joe’s passing means Jaimi-lea now depends heavily on the two bags a week from Backpack Buddies and meal support from her children’s schools to keep her family fed.
“It’s a huge weight off my shoulders,” she says. “It helps me feel secure knowing that I don’t have to worry about my kids so much. I know that the school and Backpack Buddies are going to provide regular snacks and staples, so I’m not stranded with empty cupboards.”
As Jaimi-lea courageously perseveres through her first year without Joe, she doesn’t need to worry if her three growing children will eat tomorrow.
She knows she’s not alone because of people like you.
“I want you to know that we really appreciate you – the donors,” she shared. “Without you, some of us might not be able to keep food on the table.”
Thank you for keeping food and hope on the table for families like Jaimi-lea’s.
Financial Report
Revenue
Grants: $1,202,457
Donations: $1,626,213
Other Income: $9,236
Total: $2,837,906
Expenses
Program: $2,138,738
Fundraising: $246,019
Administration: $126,558
Total: $2,511,315
Explore our financials from 2021/22 here.
Adi Mudaliar
Amazon
Ames Family Foundation
Anh and Chi Restaurant
Aqueduct Foundation
Ayreborn Audio/Video Inc.
B.C. Social Venture Partners Foundation
B2Gold Corp
Beedie Foundation
Blue Shore Financial
Boag Foundation
Breakfast Club of Canada
CFAX Santas Anonymous Society
Charitable Impact Foundation (CHIMP)
Chris Spencer Foundation
Cliff Davis and the Davis Family Foundation
Colliers International
Engel & Volkers
First West Foundation
Gencon Family Foundation
Greater Vancouver Food Bank
Grosvenor
Haywood Securities
Heather Baker
Heidi Neufeld-Lee
Inno Foods
Just Two Girls Films Inc.
Koru Pacific Foundation
Krogseth Foundation
Landon Barretto
Marcon Developments Ltd.
Mark Wexler and Judy Oberlander
Mel and Geri Davis Charitable Trust
Nicola Wealth Private Giving Foundation
Norgaard Foundation
PCI Developments LP
PCI King George Developments Inc.
Quiet Cove Foundation
RBC Foundation
Robert Allan Ltd.
Robert Greer
Saleema and Chris Erickson
Second Harvest
Seedlings Foundation
Sharons Credit Union
Shelly Kassam
Sunshine Coast Credit Union
Sunshine Coast Foundation
TD Bank
The Connor, Clark & Lunn Foundation
The Francis Family Fund
The Morris and Helen Belkin Foundation
The Palmer Family Foundation
The Victoria Foundation
The Wheelbarrow Fund
The Wolrige Foundation
Travelers Foundation
Tweedledum Foundation
Urban One Management Inc.
Van Kam Freightways Ltd.
Vancouver Foundation
Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
Victor and Anna Kern Foundation
Walsh Foundation
Westminster Foundation
Wheaton Precious Metals Corp
Yardi Vancouver
100 Women Who Care of the North Shore
ACE Couriers
Bandstra
Free Yumm
Helicopters Without Borders
Rick’s Heart Foundation
Stable Harvest Farms
Our new Olympic Ambassador
Fighting Child Hunger with Olympian, Madison Mailey
Over the past year, we’ve added a new, Olympic Gold Medalist, to our team of champions fighting child hunger: Madison Mailey!
The Canadian superstar–most recently bringing home a gold medal at Tokyo 2020 in the Canadian Women’s Rowing Eight—is an official Backpack Buddies Ambassador.
“Childrens’ food insecurity in our own neighborhoods is heartbreaking,” Madison explains. “As an Olympian and believer in the power of human kindness, I fully support Backpack Buddies. My goals are to inspire Backpack Buddies’ kids to be confident, find passions, and help their dreams come true. I also want to inspire adults to financially support the organization and the good work they do in our communities.”
“Being an athlete forces you to see food in a different light…I started to view my body as my engine and food as my fuel. Without fueling with the right foods, and fueling at the right time, my body would not function at its highest level…Children need healthy nutrition to concentrate, learn and succeed at school and on the playground. As a Backpack Buddies Ambassador I want all kids to have the fuel they need to score that goal, and enjoy learning.”
Read more from our interview with her here and follow along with Madison’s journey here.
THE FRIDAY CLUB
Meet Jeff from The Friday Club
The Friday Club is our monthly donor family. It’s a passionate, committed group of 500 people who are dedicated to alleviating child hunger in their own communities.
Every one of these monthly donors has their own unique and compelling story about what motivates them to give monthly. Here’s what Jeff has to share about his own inspiration:
Photo: Jeff and his mom, Jean.
When we first met Jaimi-lea and her three children, her husband, Joe, had just stopped working. He had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
“At the time we were struggling because he couldn’t work. We were trying to figure out how to get on welfare and how to move to the city for his treatment. A little after their dad was diagnosed, my kids started coming home with bags of food. That helped beyond belief because the food from Backpack Buddies was a way to make sure the kids always had what they needed when we might not have been able to give it to them.”
The support became even more crucial when Joe passed away in the fall of 2021. As the family’s sole income earner, Joe’s passing means Jaimi-lea now depends heavily on the two bags a week from Backpack Buddies and meal support from her children’s schools to keep her family fed.
I got a job as a messenger for a large investment firm and, over the years, have worked my way up to being a Team Lead for a large department. I have two teenage children, a lovely wife and live happily in Ladner.
“I joined Backpack Buddies as a monthly donor after I heard an ad on the radio. The kids Backpack Buddies helps remind me so much of my own experience as a kid. These are kids who are hungry all the time—and who have gotten used to that.”
— Jeff
Photo: Jeff today at home in Ladner, BC.
Bring Joy Back to Friday Afternoon!
Your gift of $80 a month provides a child in your community with a bag of food EVERY Friday for the whole school year. Filled with meals and snacks, this food will last the child the weekend and beyond.
Join the Friday Club TodayPhoto: Jeff today at home in Ladner, BC.