Penticton’s Starfish Pack program is counting its lucky stars this week after two generous donations. Read the full article below:
As a dedicated educator in Abbotsford since 2012, Jana has spent her career finding meaningful ways to support students and families. While her teaching journey has taken many forms – music teacher, school counsellor, and now a learning support teacher – her connection to her students has remained constant. One of the key ways she’s been able to support the development of her students is through nutrition – that’s where Starfish Pack comes in.
Archway Food Bank driver, Colin
Want To Help?
The Starfish Pack program is working to address food insecurity, one child at a time. Your donation helps provide over 700 Abbotsford school students with nutritious food packs each weekend so they can return to school ready to learn.
Addressing Her Students’ Needs
Starfish Pack began in 2013 with just six packs a week to now feeding over 700 students each week in 39 schools across Abbotsford – something Jana has witnessed firsthand over the years.
“As a teacher, it’s a huge relief to know my students’ food needs are being addressed,” said Jana. “Early in my career, I was constantly bringing in food and trying to figure out how to feed my students on top of lesson planning. Starfish takes that pressure off and lets me focus on education.”
Jana feels lucky that Starfish Pack has been a part of her entire teaching career and appreciates that referring students to the program is easy for educators.
“We just observe who is not bringing lunches or who seems hungry. If we think a family could use the support, we talk to the principal or youth care worker. It’s great that there is almost no barrier if we see a child is in need.”
That help takes the form of meal packs containing two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners, and snacks to fill in the gaps on the weekend. Volunteers pack and deliver packs to the schools where they are lined up for the children to discreetly pick them up every week. The packs offer much more than just food – they provide accessibility and peace of mind to caregivers.
“For parents and caregivers without access to a vehicle, getting to the food bank or to one of our satellite locations can be a significant barrier. Therefore, having the food accessible at a place where their children already are is one less thing to worry about,” said Rebecca Thuro, food security manager at Archway.
Summer Starfish volunteer, Shawna
“For parents and caregivers without access to a vehicle, getting to the food bank or to one of our satellite locations can be a significant barrier. Therefore, having the food accessible at a place where their children already are is one less thing to worry about.”
Summer Starfish volunteers
Keeping the Shelves Full All Year Long
And that accessibility doesn’t stop when the school year ends. Through the Starfish Summer program, which was introduced in 2019, families who rely on school year packs continue to receive food support during July and August.
“When I found out that Starfish was being expanded to summer, I was astounded and just really blown away by the community’s generosity,” said Jana.
Why Food Accessibility in Schools Matters
Recently Jana had the opportunity to share the impact of Starfish in front of a small audience of donors and community partners.
Jana speaking to donors and community partners at golf event
“We’re not just feeding children, we are feeding families,” Jana said during her presentation.
“I know some parents have to skip meals to provide for their children, but Starfish Pack makes it easier to have enough food for the family to go around.”
While the impact of Starfish might not always be visible on the surface, Jana believes its influence runs deep.
“It’s kind of an invisible thing, and yet it’s affecting every part of a child’s day. When a student isn’t stressed about food, their whole nervous system is more relaxed. They’re ready to learn, grow and be with their friends.”
She adds that the program plays a critical role in building a culture of care within schools.
“When students know they can come to school and not just get education or emotional support, but also food – that makes the school a hub of safety. It’s one more way we show we’re here for them.”
Jana is quick to credit the volunteers and donors who make Starfish possible.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone who contributes. I know that Starfish represents a really big impact for all of these families, and we, as educators, feel really supported knowing that there is food coming from the community for these kids.”
Listen to Jana Speak on the Impact of the Starfish Pack Program
As school starts again, the Archway Starfish Pack program is gearing up to help 730 Abbotsford students with food every weekend.
The Starfish Pack program has become a vital support system for families struggling with the high cost of living. The program provides meal ingredients for two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners, and snacks to provide the essentials over the weekend in between school food programs.
“The number of families reaching out for help is growing, and unfortunately, funding is not keeping up with the food costs or the requests for service. No child should have to go hungry and that’s why we’re asking the community to step in to help us close that gap over the weekend,” said Rebecca Thuro, Archway Food Security Manager.
Over the course of the school year, the Starfish program expects to provide more than 25,000 weekend food packs. The program relies on the generosity of individual and corporate donors to cover the $800,000 cost of running the program for the whole school year.
“We’re able to keep our costs low thanks to multiple dedicated teams of volunteers who organize and deliver the packs to different schools each week,” said Thuro.
“We currently have more than a dozen monthly donors who help cover part of the costs and would love to bring on more supporters to help us provide consistent access to food,” said Thuro. “One-time donations are also gratefully accepted, with every $25 helping provide a weekend pack.
“As a teacher, it’s a huge relief to know my students’ food needs are being addressed,” said Jana Dahl, a local school teacher.
“Early in my career, I was constantly bringing in food and trying to figure out how to feed my students on top of lesson planning. Starfish takes that pressure off and lets me focus on education.”
Jana Dahl, Local School Teacher
The increased demand has also led the program to outgrow existing distribution spaces at the Archway Food Bank and Central Heights Church. To better serve families, Starfish operations will be fully transitioning to a larger facility at the Abbotsford Pentecostal Assembly.
“We’re so grateful to have found a new space and are thankful to both churches for donating their space so together we can help children access nutritious food,” said Thuro.
In addition to the 24,218 packs distributed to 40 Abbotsford schools during the 2024/25 school year, the Summer Starfish Pack program provided 1,705 biweekly meal packs full of nutritious items to over 450 students.
Staff and volunteers filling an After The Bell pack with produce.
“I’m a single parent and I’m very grateful for this program. Sometimes it is hard to ask for help, but it’s nice to know that the community is always willing to lend a hand in hard times,” said a Starfish parent.
Donations can be made online at AbbotsfordFoodBank.com/donate-starfishpack to ensure no child misses out on nutritious and accessible meals throughout the school year.
Families wanting to access Starfish packs can reach out to their school administration to apply.
An Abbotsford Facebook group raised $10,000 for the Starfish Pack program through their Doing Good in the Hood Fundraiser event in mid-September 2024. Read the full article below:
The second annual Smiles Through Seva Foundation Gala on September 28th, 2024 raised $70,000 for the Archway Food Bank’s Starfish Pack program.
The program provides packs of food for more than 700 students every school weekend.
“We’re amazed by the generosity shown by the event organizers, sponsors and attendees,” said Rebecca Thuro, Archway food security manager. “These funds will ensure 100 children and teenagers will receive food over the weekend all school year.” Read the full article below:
Food insecurity affects 18 per cent of families across the province, and the North Okanagan is no exception, according to the Kalamalka Starfish Society:
The [North Okanagan] Starfish Society has been providing weekend backpacks for students for more than eight years, covering any food shortages over the weekend when access to school meal programs is unavailable. Mary Jackson, President of the Kalamalka Starfish Society, stated, “The need for these bags has doubled in the past two years, and in just four months, 50 volunteers sorted, packed, and delivered more than 4,300 backpacks.”
“As we see the need for the backpacks grow, we realize that these children and families will need this support throughout the summer months too. This grant will support our summer pilot program to supply 800 backpacks. We will also partner with the SD 22 Food Coordinator to host ‘Family Food Nights’ where we cook a meal together with a group of families.”
“We started the year with 209 bags and expect to exceed 240 bags a week in the coming months,” said director of operations Darryl O’Brian. “Last year we experienced a 68 per cent increase in demand over the previous year and we are already seeing increases of 20 per cent each week this year.”
Starfish Pack Program in North Okanagan sends out 221 food bags to students in need. Watch Vernon 107.5 Beach Radio’s video of the packing process below:
“We are fortunate to have a team of dedicated volunteers to support the program—from delivering and sorting the food to packing the bags and taking them to schools,” Kalamalka Starfish Society vice-president Darryl O’Brian says. The program is supported by local partners including Kalamalka Rotary, Save-On-Foods-Village Green, School Districts 22 and 83, Keith Construction and Wayside. It’s a true community effort that addresses a vital need: