Community
Impact Report
2024/25
Backpack Buddies acknowledges with gratitude that our work takes place on the ancestral, traditional and unceded territories of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓-speaking xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and the Skwxwú7mesh Sníchim-speaking Skwxwú7mesh Uxwumixw (Squamish) Nations.
Dear Friends and Supporters,
I’m proud to share our 2024/25 Community Impact Report with you. Inside, you’ll find stories from children and families you’ve helped, highlights from the past year, and a deeper look at how your support is making a lasting difference.
Since 2020, child poverty and food insecurity have continued to rise across British Columbia. In 2023 alone, food bank visits in BC jumped by 20%, with children representing nearly one-third of those served. Inflation and skyrocketing housing costs have left many families struggling just to put food on the table.
In the face of this uncertainty, Backpack Buddies has remained steady. We have continued to show up—week in and week out—for over 6,000 children in 78 communities across the province. And this year, we’ve been focused on something vital: deepening our impact. We have prioritized delivering more nutritious food, strengthening our team, and building the infrastructure we need to serve more families well—for as long as they need us.
Stability is not always flashy, but it is powerful. For the children who rely on school meal programs and face hardships at home, knowing they can count on us each weekend means everything. When the world around them feels uncertain, Backpack Buddies is a source of consistency, care, and nourishment.
This dependable presence wouldn’t be possible without you or supporters like Collin Zwickel, who ran seven marathons, on seven continents, in seven days to support Backpack Buddies. His passion to raise awareness about childhood hunger embodies the commitment that fuels our mission. I hope you’ll take a moment to read his incredible story on Page 14.
At Backpack Buddies, we believe no child in British Columbia should go hungry—and thanks to you, we’re continuing to build a more stable, resilient support system for the kids who need it most.
Emily-anne King
Executive Director & Co-Founder
Geoff Pedlow, Chair
Annika Lofstrand, Director
Justin Dhesi, Director
Patti Schom-Moffatt, Director
Shari Gale, Director
Vishad Deepaul, Director
Emily-anne King, Co-Founder & Executive Director
Joanne Griffiths, Co-Founder & Director of Strategic Partnerships
Lorraine Winchester, Director of Food Access
Tara-Kelly Andrews, Assistant Food Access Coordinator
Laara Losier, Program Coordinator – South Vancouver Island
Diane de Jong, Program Coordinator – North Vancouver Island
Melissa Gresley Jones, Program Coordinator – Central Kootenays
Lindsay Burke, Donor Relations
Tanya Barrie, Administrative Assistant and Donor Processing
Pat Jenkins, Warehouse & Transportation Manager
Kristoffer Fransson, Warehouse Supervisor
Jamie McCracken, Warehouse Associate
Shakeel Lalani, Warehouse Associate
Luke Porcellato, Warehouse Associate
Families Across BC are in Crisis
The ever-increasing cost of rent, household expenses and childcare has created an affordability emergency, and it has hit children the hardest. Nearly one in three children are now at risk of food insecurity. For parents depending on school meal programs to help feed their children, every weekend brings renewed stress and anxiety.
In 2022, the rate of food insecurity among BC’s children (ages 0-17) increased sharply to 29% from 22% in 2021. This represents an alarming 254,000 BC children living in food insecure households.
The number of food bank visits in BC increased by 20% between 2022 and 2023. There were 62,481 visits by children to BC food banks in 2023 – children made up 31% of BC food bank clients.
These stats come from 2024 BC CHILD POVERTY REPORT CARD firstcallbc.org
Together, We Are Helping Hungry Kids
Right now thousands of BC kids are going hungry. With school meal programs helping on weekdays, Backpack Buddies steps in on the weekend, delivering bags of food to struggling kids all across BC.
With every child supported, we come one step closer to achieving our mission:
To ensure food security for every vulnerable child in British Columbia
We partner with schools to connect with children in need
Everything we do is coordinated in partnership with teachers and administrators. They advise us on the needs of their students and discreetly identify children who will benefit most from receiving a bag of food for the weekend.
We provide over 1.5 million meals a year
We work with grocery suppliers and food rescue organizations to stretch every dollar we have. Over 1.5 million meals a year are packed at our warehouses in North Vancouver and Victoria.
We deliver bags of food directly to schools every week
With the support of our transportation partners, we deliver thousands of bags of food every week to schools across BC.
We feed hungry kids with dignity and discretion
We take steps to ensure kids aren’t ashamed to get help. Every Friday, the kids we serve go home with a bag full of meals and snacks to last them the weekend. Coordinating with teachers and administrators, we ensure delivery is discreet so that no child feels singled out by this support. For the kids we serve, they head home every Friday knowing where their next meal is coming from and are equipped to return to school on Monday ready to learn.
Your Gifts in Action
KMs Driven by
Backpack Buddies
50,218
Furthest Community Reached (Stewart, BC)
1,481 KM
Backpack Buddies
Kids
6,000
Communities
Reached
78
Schools Distribution Sites
392
Backpacks
Filled
193,303
Lbs of food
delivered
869,863
Meals
Provided
1,555,584
Lbs of fresh fruit
and veggies
147,000
From Hunger to Hope
For Brandi and her kids, history doesn’t have to repeat itself
In a province full of food, far too many families are still going hungry.
Brandi knows that struggle all too well.
A member of the Tseshaht First Nation and mother of three, Brandi grew up in a home where meals weren’t always guaranteed. She remembers carefully stretching food bank donations. She remembers empty cupboards and the ache of going to bed hungry.
“I remember a lot about when I was Lily’s age,” she says of her six-year-old daughter.
“And I just didn’t want her to feel what I felt.”
But life hasn’t been easy. Brandi lives with her partner and three daughters—Lily, four-year-old Rain, and teenage Amia. She receives disability income, but the rising cost of food has made even the basics feel out of reach.
“There were days when we were all hungry,” she says. She often had to ration their food, especially healthy staples like olive oil and frozen fruit.
But Backpack Buddies helped change that when her children started bringing home bags of food from school. Healthy snacks. Fresh fruit. Cereal. Juice boxes. Meals that filled their bellies—and brought something else into their home: relief.
Having enough food has freed up money for other necessities like clothing. It’s even allowed Brandi to buy the girls a treat every now and then, something that wasn’t possible before.
“The girls seem to be more active. They have a lot more energy,” Brandi says. “Because you know, when they’re hungry, they’re not really happy.”
As Brandi works to break the cycle of hunger for her own girls, Backpack Buddies is there to support her—one bag of food at a time.
As Brandi works to break the cycle of hunger for her own girls, Backpack Buddies is there to support her—one bag of food at a time.
Community Impact
Surrey Spring Break Pilot
When the Surrey School District asked if we could scale up our weekend program to deliver 16-day hampers to feed over 1,000 kids during Spring Break, we didn’t hesitate—we said yes! With support from generous partners like Portofino, BC Dairy, Nature’s Path, Direct Plus, Safeway, and GVFB, we filled our warehouse with over 31,000 lbs of fresh produce and dry goods. In just two days, alongside our incredible volunteers, staff and students from SD36, we packed 1,052 hampers—then spent three days delivering 9 truckloads of food to 59 schools.
1,052
Hampers
(a total of 2,104 bags of food)
48
Family sized meals
+ oranges, apples,
peppers, cucumbers, bread
and pizza buns delivered
9
Truckloads
59
Schools in Surrey
in over 3 days
31,560
lbs of food delivered!!!
Seven Marathons, Seven Continents, Seven Days
Childhood hunger is extreme. So is Collin Zwickel.
For many people, running one marathon is a huge accomplishment.
Imagine running seven. In seven days. Across ALL seven continents.
It’s an incredible feat—and one that Collin Zwickel achieved last year, all in support of Backpack Buddies.
In 2022, Collin was in a devastating motorcycle accident that almost left him without the use of one arm. Instead of keeping him down, the experience inspired him to commita to completing one difficult athletic feat a year.
His first challenge was a 122-km run from downtown Vancouver to Whistler in 2023—the first major run he’d ever done. Through the run, he raised funds for multiple causes. After that success, he decided to take on the 777 in support of Backpack Buddies.
Collin said he was shocked when he learned how many kids in BC face hunger every week.
“I wondered how childhood hunger was even possible in our country,” he said. “It made me
want to give back.”
Inspired by the generous clients he works with as an investment advisor, he knew he wanted to do something that wouldn’t just support kids, but inspire them to dream big.
“I wanted to do something life-defining and hard enough where, if I saw someone else do it, I would definitely donate,” he said.
Collin’s ambitious plan worked. Through the epic run, he has raised over $85,000 for Backpack Buddies—enough to provide 3,400 bags filled with food for BC children.
The marathons ranged from running in -18° weather in Antarctica to sweating it out in the humid, 30+° heat of Colombia. Collin even ran one marathon in borrowed gear—which was two sizes too small—when his luggage didn’t arrive in time. Nearly 2.5 of the seven days were spent on an airplane.
The adventure ended in Miami, where dozens of family and friends came to celebrate his last run.
“It started with a small idea that turned into something much larger that a whole bunch of people got behind,” he said. “And to help feed thousands of kids over a weekend gave the run a sense of purpose.”
Collin notes that running the 777 is nothing compared to the challenge of ending childhood hunger.
“At the end of the day, seven marathons sounds challenging. But it’s the volunteers and staff within the organization that are really impressive,” Collin said. “Thinking about all the people behind Backpack Buddies is what kept me going during the hardest moments on the run.”
Follow along with more of Collin’s epic adventures on instagram at @collinjames
The Start of a Legacy
William Anthony is helping end childhood hunger—and having fun doing it
After learning how many fellow students in BC experience childhood hunger, William Anthony decided to take action. The grade 12 student started the ‘No Kids Hungry’ initiative at his high school, Vancouver College, to support Backpack Buddies.
“After hearing the stats about hungry kids, it hit me that I can get food almost whenever I want,” he said. “Yet there are kids struggling to even get the smallest meal in.”
The club started off slow. “I’d never had to lead this many teenagers before,” he said. “Props to all the teachers out there—it’s really difficult.” To get things rolling, he used a tried-and-true method: he ordered a bunch of pizzas to bring students together. It worked.
Over the past two years, he and fellow club members have raised more than $10,000 for Backpack Buddies and packed more than five thousand bags of food. And they’ve had fun doing it, organizing packing parties (complete with tunes) and going door-to-door in the neighborhood near their school to raise money.
“My friends didn’t think it would be this fun,” he said. “We’re hanging out together and making a difference. It feels so amazing,” he said.
After he graduates this June, William plans to pass the club on to his younger brother, who also attends Vancouver College. After that, they hope their youngest brother will take over, ensuring No Kids Hungry can help put hope on the table for years to come.
“The big message I want to spread is that if you can help, do it,” William says. “That’s how our community will get better.”
In 2024, Backpack Buddies was recognized as a 5-Star, Top 100 Charity by Charity Intelligence Canada – an independent organization that researches and rates Canadian charities to provide information to potential donors on the charities they wish to support. Backpack Buddies was recognized as one of the best.
Financials
Donors
Our gratitude to those who have contributed $5,000 and above—please find your names listed below.
A Thinking Ape Entertainment Ltd.
A&L Wickerson
Adera Foundation Society
Adi Mudaliar and the Mudaliar family
Aecon
Al Roadberg Foundation
Allen and Loreen Vandekerkhove
Family Foundation
Altenburg Painting
Amacon Management Services Corp
Amazon
Ames Family Foundation
Andrew and Julia Witte
Assante Financial Management Ltd.
Barrett-Frohlich Family
BC Dairy
BlueShore Financial
Board of Education School District
No. 38 (Richmond)
Boffo Developments Ltd.
Bright Futures Education Fund,
held at Vancouver Foundation
Campbell River Community Foundation
Canary Foundation
Catherine Sabiston
CFAX Santas Anonymous Society
CIBC
Clifford and Carolyn Davis
Corporate Electric
Cummins Canada in partnership
with GlobalGiving
Danton Heinen
David Alan Lum
Dinyar Marzban Law Corporation
Dixon Heating & Sheet Metal Ltd.
Dogwood Pavilion Seniors Society
Dr. Shannon R. Samler Inc
Dustin White
East to West Leasing
Ecclesiastes Foundation
Ecclesiastical Insurance
Equitable Bank
The Clever Savage Group: Erik
Clevering, Kelsey Savage, and
Cathy Evans
Face The World Foundation
FreeYumm Foods
Fernwood Foundation
Gail Pozniak
Galloway Botteselle & Co
Gateway Casinos & Entertainment
go2HR
Hansen Industries Ltd.
Happy Kids
Harding Family Private Giving Fund
Headwater Living Inc.
Helen Vokaty
Henry So Personal Real Estate Corp.
Herbaland Naturals Inc.
Hilton Vancouver Metrotown
Hsu and Hsieh Foundation
Intact Insurance Company
Ivan & Laurie Gasoi Fund
Jane O’Connor
Kayla Pope and Saumil Parikh
Koru Pacific Foundation
Krogseth Foundation
Landon Barretto
Langley School District Foundation
Launi Jacobsen
Mazon Canada
McElhanney Ltd.
Melissa Nagelbach
Metrie Canada Ltd.
Michael David Corday
Michael Wilke
Mirhady Family Fund
Nathan King
Fibreco, Neptune, Pembina,
Seaspan and Western
Nicholas Spears
Norgaard Foundation
Olympic Industries ULC
Optum
PCI King George Developments Inc.
PepsiCo Foundation
Peter Hall
Phyliss and Irving Snider Foundation
Port Coquitlam Community
Foundation
Province of British Columbia
Purolator
Ralf and Karen Tschenscher
RBC Foundation
Richard Cole Private Giving Fund
Richelle Newson
Robert Allan Ltd.
Robert Matthews
Rotary Club of Victoria-Harbourside
Foundation
Royal Oak Optometry
Safeway
Sandy’s Furniture
Senft Family Foundation
Sovereign Order of St.John of
Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller
Staub Electronics Ltd.
Stephanie Archer
Susan Crawford & Rick Simpson of
the Simpford Foundation
Tamara Foundation
TD Bank Group
TELUS Corporation
Telus Friendly Future Foundation
The Ember Fund
The Family of Gordon & Susan
Thompson
The Grocery Foundation
The Jilly Box
The Jules Foundation
The Morris and Helen Belkin Foundation
The Rix Family Foundation
The Singing Walrus Music Production
The Victor and Anna Kern Foundation
The Wheelbarrow Fund
The Wolrige Foundation
Times Colonist Christmas Fund
Society
Timothy A. Young Family Foundation
TL Housing Solutions Ltd.
TMX Inc.
Townline Homes Inc.
Turnbull Family Fund
Urban One Management Inc.
Valerie Eluzabeth Reiter
Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
Vancouver School Board Staff
Vanhoover Pony Expo
Ventum Financial Corporation
Victoria Foundation’s Community
Grants Program, with funding from
the Government of British
Columbia through the Community
Prosperity Fund
Virginia Angus
Walsh Foundation
Warrington PCI Management
Wells Fargo
West Coast Seeds
West Vancouver Community
Foundation
Wheaton Precious Metals Corp
William D Robertson
William Martin Foundation
Wray Family Foundation
Thank you to each volunteer, supporter, community partner, and staff member.
Your belief in our mission, and incredible support are what make this work possible.
Leave A Legacy Of Hope
Imagine a future where children have all the food they need — every day of the week. You can help us end weekend hunger in BC and make a difference for thousands of kids by leaving a gift in your will. Contact Melodie Mallinder at melodie@backpackbuddies.ca
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