TOGETHER

North Okanagan Starfish Proudly Supports

Why does the Starfish Pack Program Exist?

Approximately one in five children in BC live in poverty and often go more than a full day without eating a healthy meal. The Starfish Backpack Program is working to address food insecurity, one child at a time, and you can help.

Food insecurity occurs when there is a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. This insecurity is often due to financial constraints that families across Canada are facing. Greater Vernon area families also experience this insecurity. About a third of those who access food banks in Vernon are under the age of 18.

The Starfish Pack Program provides a bag of food each week throughout the school year to elementary school children who experience food insecurity. Each pack provides food for two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners and is supplemented by fresh fruit and vegetables, along with snacks.

These bags don’t just fill stomachs—they lift spirits and help children return to class each Monday ready to learn, grow, and thrive. The smiles and gratitude from the children and their families remind us all how vital this volunteer-driven effort truly is.

In the 2024/2025 school year, the Starfish Program delivered 8,057 bags of weekend food. With six meals in each bag, that equates to 48,342 meals, providing relief, hope, and compassion.

“Eating a balanced, nutritious diet plays a key role in ensuring students come to school ready to learn. We want our students to eat well and learn well. Thanks to our partnership with Kalamalka Starfish Society, we will continue to provide health learning opportunities to all our students.”

Dr. Christine Perkins, SD 22 Retired Superintendent

The History of the Starfish Program in North Okanagan

In the spring of 2016, a small but deeply compassionate idea took root in Vernon. Kalamalka Rotary launched the Starfish Pack Program with a simple goal: to help children who were quietly going without. What began as a pilot of just 20 food packs quickly revealed a powerful truth—when a community comes together with kindness, lives can change.

The response was overwhelming. That first year’s success carried the program through the following school year, and with each passing year, the need—and the community’s commitment—grew. During the uncertainty and hardship of COVID, the Starfish Pack Program became more important than ever, providing steady, reliable support to families when they needed it most. Year after year, more bags were packed, more children were helped, and more hope was delivered—often unseen but deeply felt.

Now in its tenth year, the program stands as a testament to what sustained compassion can accomplish. In June of 2021, this growing mission became the Kalamalka Starfish Society, officially recognized as a registered charity. With tax‑exempt status under the Income Tax Act, the Society is now able to provide tax receipts to its donors—an important milestone that reflects both accountability and trust.

At its heart, the Starfish Pack Program is about more than food. It is about dignity, care, and the quiet reassurance to children and families that they are not alone. One pack at a time, this community continues to make a lasting difference.

The Growing Need

The price of groceries, like the cost of living has been rising steadily over the past several years, making it difficult for families to juggle these priorities. And yet, this isn’t just about calories. It’s about giving a child what they need to: be healthier, concentrate in class, manage their emotions, feel less stress at home and believe in tomorrow.

Here’s the number of bags Starfish has delivered in the following school years, which illustrates this trend:

2022/23 – 4,428 bags

2023/24 – 7,692 bags

2024/25 – 8,057 bags

Each bag contains 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners, fruits, vegetables and snacks. It contains enough to feed a family of four. In 2024/2025, that’s 48,342 meals sent home with local students, ensuring they didn’t face the weekend hungry. That’s 48,342 moments of relief, stability, and dignity.

Who is Involved in the Starfish Pack Program?

The Starfish Pack Program is built on the kindness, generosity, and unwavering commitment of an incredible community of partners who believe deeply in our mission and work tirelessly to ensure that no child goes hungry on weekends. This program exists because so many people choose to show up for children and families in need.

We are profoundly grateful to Save‑On‑Foods at Village Green Mall, whose support has been foundational since the very beginning of the program. By providing groceries at a reduced cost, they enable us to stretch every dollar further and reach more students and families each year. Their long‑standing partnership and belief in this work have made a lasting difference in our community.

School District No. 22 and School District No. 83 play an essential role in the success of the program. Their teams help identify students who need support and ensure that Starfish packs are delivered discreetly and reliably each week throughout the school year. We are especially thankful for District Food Coordinators Michelle Douglas and Serena Caner, whose dedication, careful tracking, and thoughtful feedback strengthens the program and helps it continue to grow and adapt.

Behind the scenes, many generous partners make the logistics possible. Wayside Press reliably delivers pallets of groceries from Save‑On‑Foods to our packing location, a task that is vital to keeping everything running smoothly. We are deeply appreciative of Keith Construction, who not only provide our packing space, but also built a dedicated packing building on their property. Their generosity, along with the support of their contractor colleagues, has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Kalamalka Rotary remains one of the program’s most steadfast champions. Through their annual Golf Tournament, they raise critical funds that help sustain the program, and many Rotarians generously give their time as volunteers and donors. Their leadership, service, and continued belief in the Starfish mission is invaluable.

Finally, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the many individuals, businesses, foundations, and families who support the Starfish Pack Program. Whether through donations, fundraising efforts, volunteering, or quiet acts of generosity, each contribution helps ensure that children in our community have access to food and care when they need it most. We are continually humbled by this collective support and reminded that it truly takes a community to address food insecurity with compassion and dignity.

Save On Foods at 2024 Starfish Day

School District #22 representatives at 2025 Starfish day

Neil Perry of Wayside Press

Keith Construction

Brian Reid, Kalamalka Rotary President 2026-2027

Kalamalka Starfish Society

The North Okanagan Starfish Program is managed by the registered non-profit Kalamalka Starfish Society. The Society is managed by a volunteer board, which sets the strategic direction for Starfish, manages financial and regulatory reporting, and monitors operations.

Kalamalka Starfish Society Board

Left to Right: David Spencer (Donor Coordinator), Chelsea Kidd (Secretary), Darryl O’Brian, Vice-President and Director of Operations, Brenda Spence (Director at Large), Mary Jackson, President, and Chad Reimer (Treasurer)

Telling Our Story

Starfish’s Facebook and Instagram pages, managed by Emily, consistently reminds us of what truly matters by sharing the Starfish story—a simple yet powerful message that change doesn’t have to be loud or massive to be meaningful. Every post she writes, every story she tells, and every moment she shows up online reflects that same belief: one act of kindness, one person helped, one difference made still counts.

Through her dedication, compassion, and steady presence, Emily helps keep our mission at the heart of everything we do. She doesn’t just manage posts—she spreads hope, encourages action, and reminds our community that each of us has the power to make an impact, no matter how small it may feel.

Emily Sinclair

Starfish Program Operations

Over 40 individuals are involved in delivering the Starfish Program each week, led by the Director of Operations, Darryl O’Brian. Behind the scenes there are those that do the grocery orders (Michael Stamhuis), total the student numbers (Nancy Neustaeter), schedule the volunteers (Kathy Morgan and Caitlyn Wiltsie), set out the food (David, Mike, James, Roger and Darryl), provide direction to the packers and drivers (Brenda Spence, Ron Allen, and Dianne Lambert). These folks are the soul of Starfish – our weekly warriors who unpack, sort, pack, and deliver with care and consistency!

Michael Stamhuis

Nancy Neustaeter

Kathy Morgan

Caitlyn Wiltsie

David Spencer, Mike Stamhuis, James Mayne and Roger Perry

Darryl O’Brian and Dianne Lambert, Lead Packer

Ron Allen, Brenda Spence, Lead Packers, and Darryl O’Brian

Packers

Each week, a committed group of individuals come to the packing location to support elementary students experiencing food insecurity. They have the heart, compassion and commitment that makes this program strong.

Drivers

No matter the weather, the Starfish drivers commit to delivering bags each week to 21 locations in the North Okanagan. They believe that no child in our community should go hungry. Period.

Thank you, Donors!

Donor Wall of Recognition

Dr. Christine Perkins, SD 22 Superintendent

“Eating a balanced, nutritious diet plays a key role in ensuring students come to school ready to learn. We want our students to eat well and learn well. Thanks to our partnership with Kalamalka Starfish Society, we will continue to provide health learning opportunities to all our students.”

Vernon Parent

"We are a family of five: 3 kids, 2 adults and are so humbled and grateful for your services. Sometimes the simplest things mean the most. Your thoughtfulness is a gift we will always treasure. Without this program my family would be lost."

Vernon Parent

“The program helps me to get my daughter to try foods she wouldn’t normally. She’ll try anything new if it comes in the backpack. She loves the fresh fruit, applesauce and the healthy cereal. Alphagetti is her favourite,” says a parent of her daughter in the second grade. “She is proud she is responsible about remembering to pick up the pack and return it the following week.”

Champion Donor - Tolko

“We were made aware of Starfish Packs through our employees and quickly saw this as a program we needed to get behind. We are proud to support them and look forward to partnering with this exceptional group of people to support children and their families in our community,” says Brad Thorlakson, Tolko’s President and CEO. “At Tolko, we want our people to be proud, not only of the work we do, but of the difference we make in our communities. Working with the Starfish Pack not only aligns with Tolko’s strong family values, it is something we can all be proud of each day.”

Vernon Mother

“We are on a low income, so with three kids the program helps us a lot. My son is very excited to get the backpack on Fridays. He loves the healthy cereal with almonds and the granola bars. He unpacks it all himself, puts things away and helps to plan dinners for the family.”

Great West Equipment

“We support the Starfish Program as we want to support the community in areas that to us make a meaningful impact,” says Rob Rintoul, Chief Financial Officer for Great West Equipment. “Youth is often our focus as there is great potential in every child. Giving them an opportunity to succeed with healthy food is something we felt fit our support objectives and is a great program we hope takes hold in many other communities.”

School Principal

“Teachers love the program because they know the kids in need in their classrooms will be fed on the weekend,” says a school principal. “Parents are very appreciative. The program is helping us to build positive relationships with parents we were not able to reach before. When children are well fed their behaviour problems decrease right away and their ability to focus increases.”

So... Why Support Starfish?

Because we are 100% volunteer led.

Because we stretch every dollar like it is made of elastic. Over 90 % of our funds go towards groceries.

Because we believe food is a right, not a luxury.

And because when you support Starfish, you support the future of your own community.

The Starfish Pack Program is named after the well-known parable of the Starfish, which illustrates the importance of helping even just one life in need.

The program has the support of many organizations and individuals in North Okanagan, but there are many more children who need your help. You can also be a part of helping a school student thrive!

The annual cost of the Starfish pack for one student is $875 for a school year. This is approximately $25 per week to provide six meals in each weekend backpack.

There are several ways you can support the program: