“Compared to providing for approximately 60 students at a small number of schools prior to the pandemic, the Starfish program now provides food packs to approximately 170 students at more schools.”
In Mission, every weekend, teams from the Starfish Backpack Program distribute backpacks containing two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners and two snacks to hungry kids and their families. The program is receiving $2,000 monthly for a minimum of four months from United Way.
Thanks to a new partnership with the Penticton Elks, the Rotary Starfish Pack Program in Penticton is now able to provide more backpacks to students in need!
“Please help us fill these empty backpacks.”
Starfish was featured in the Williams Lake Tribune, as Lori and the team at Williams Lake Starfish look for to their community for financial support to help feed more hungry children in their city.
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By Meghan Kellington & Rebecca Thuro
The Starfish Pack Program has been buzzing lately, preparing for the new school year’s deliveries to start. It’s crazy to think that less than 10 years ago, Starfish was delivering 6 backpacks to one school in Abbotsford, and now over 1400 children across the province of British Columbia (and Whatcom County, WA) are receiving Starfish backpacks each weekend thanks to hundreds of volunteers and donors.
New children’s book helps raise funds for Mission Rotary Starfish Pack Program.
After a successful launch in April 2017 of Starfish Pack program, Penticton Rotary is back at it again for a 3rd year! Starfish pack is a program which provides backpacks of food to local school aged children and their families on the weekends. The backpacks are packed with food with support from Save-On foods. The packs are then delivered to local pre-selected schools. They are distributed by the principal to children on Friday and returned empty on Monday for the process to begin again. The backpacks contain food to supplement meals for 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners and some snacks.
When you think of your childhood, what memories come to mind when you hear the words Summer Holidays? Maybe you think of the excitement of being out of school and getting to play all day with your friends. Maybe you think of camping, family vacations, or attending different types of kid’s camps. Sunshine, swimming, adventures, fun. But for some children and families in Abbotsford, instead of thinking about the fun summer they are going to have, they are thinking, “Are we going to have enough money to be able to afford groceries?” or “When am I going to have food to eat during the summer?”
Aldergrove Boston Pizza raises money for local Starfish Pack Program by selling heart shaped pizza’s for Valentine’s Day.