Hunger Doesn’t Take The Summer Off
For many children, summer isn’t a break — it’s full of worry
During the school year, school meal programs and Backpack Buddies provide the food many children rely on. But when school closes, many children are left to worry: will there be enough to eat at home?
When School Closes, The Food Disappears
In just a few weeks, when school closes for the summer, the breakfasts and lunches many children receive at school disappear — along with the Backpack Buddies food they count on every Friday.
For families already struggling to make ends meet, the summer months ahead can become the hardest time of the year.
Instead of worrying about just the weekend, parents must suddenly find food for every meal, every day, for two full months.For thousands of BC children, summer brings a constant question:
Will there be enough food today?
“The summer vacation is actually the hardest time for us.” — Anne
For families like Anne’s, the summer hunger gap is a reality they face every year.
I’m a single mom with two kids.
During the school year, I work hard and try to budget carefully so we can stretch every dollar. Even then, we still rely on support — my kids have breakfast and lunch at school, and Backpack Buddies helps so much with the food they bring home for the weekend.
But when summer comes, everything gets harder.
My work slows down in July and August, but grocery bills don’t. When school closes, the kids face a long summer without school meals or Backpack Buddies.
I try to save a little from every paycheque during the year so we’re ready for those months, but it’s still really stressful.
That’s when the summer months start to feel very long for all three of us.
And I know we’re not the only family going through this. Parents talk about this a lot when the school year starts winding down.
It’s something families everywhere are trying to figure out.
Across BC, thousands of parents face the same challenge every summer.
What We’re Learning from Families and Communities
Across BC, communities are helping shape how summer food support could work.
Over the past year, Backpack Buddies has been working with families, schools, and community partners to understand how food support could reach children during the summer months.
This summer, those conversations are going into action.
Families have told us they need more of the foods they can cook and stretch at home — things like rice, lentils, beans, and other staples.
In many communities, families have also shared the importance of culturally appropriate foods that reflect what their children are used to eating.
Schools and school districts are exploring ways to keep spaces open so food can still reach students during the summer.
Community organizations that work closely with families are also helping us design distribution approaches that are simple, dignified, and accessible.
What is clear is that different communities will need different solutions.
Because one thing is certain: Hunger doesn’t take the summer off.
Because Summer Should Feel Like Childhood
When children go all summer without enough food, they often return to school in September already behind.
But when children have reliable food throughout the summer months, they return ready to learn, grow, and thrive.
Backpack Buddies is working with schools and community partners across BC to make sure children have the support they need when school is closed.
We’ll share more soon about what this will look like — and how our community can be part of it.
Because Hunger doesn’t take the summer off. And this year, Backpack Buddies will step in.
