Childhood Hunger in BC
While BC has one of the strongest economies in Canada, an astounding 18% of children— 156,650 kids—in our communities are living below the poverty line. And for children living in lone-parent households, that rate skyrockets to 49%.
The ever increasing cost of rent, household expenses and childcare, has created an affordability crisis for families in our community. Basic needs like food, shelter and warmth are now in direct competition with one another. Families living in poverty are often forced to make brutal trade-offs like foregoing dinners for a week to pay the rent.
OVER
100
children in BC live in poverty.
Food banks help, but many families still depend on school breakfast, lunch and snack programs to meet their children’s baseline nutritional needs. But, these programs only exist during the week. Families in our community are struggling to keep food on the table over the weekend.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CHILDREN DON’T EAT
Over the weekend, children in food insecure households often don’t eat properly, or at all. Hungry children suffer in secret because they are the least likely to ask for help from teachers or other adults in their lives for fear that their parents will get into trouble.
We know that consistent hunger can be crippling for children.
When a child is hungry they…
Are more likely to be overweight
Consistent hunger, even just over the weekend, can set a child back for life.
HOW WE WORK
Nourish & Flourish is Backpack Buddies’ online marketplace. Backpack Buddies is a registered Canadian charity that works with teachers, administrators and social workers to identify children and families who could benefit most from receiving a bag of food for the weekend.
Working in partnership with teachers and other community leaders, we get bags of food to kids across BC every Friday who need them the most. We are mindful that children receiving support never feel singled out and that no one is made to feel like there’s something wrong or abnormal about their family’s circumstances.
Each bag of food to feed a child nine meals and snacks to last them the weekend and beyond costs $20.
When you pack a bag today on Nourish & Flourish, you are making a donation that ensures that healthy, kid-approved food gets into the hands of kids across the province that need it most.
In the 2021/22 school year, donors like you helped us reach more kids in more communities than ever before. Check out the impact that your generosity will help to have:
Bags delievered:
That's
10,000
That's
100,000
pounds of food!
Meals provided:
400,000
+ Kids Served:
Communities served:
500
Communities served:
100
Distribution partners:
300
