PCI Developments has been supporting The Sun’s charitable campaign for a decade.

Tim Grant, the president of PCI Developments, said the shock of learning children were going to school hungry led the company to support The Vancouver Sun’s Adopt-A-School campaign.

The real estate company has constructed office and residential towers across the Lower Mainland for 40 years, and has been helping Adopt-A-School since 2014.

“When we first heard about the issue of children coming to school hungry and needing to be fed, we were quite frankly shocked,” said Grant.

“It was a person in our industry who became aware of what you (Adopt-A-School) were doing and went to a number of groups in our industry and said, ‘Hey guys you might not know about this, but me and my family are going to contribute, and we’d really encourage you to do so as well.’

“To think such a thing was happening in a community that we are so proud of — that kids did not have adequate meals or food — well, as a company, we felt really strongly that we had to try and do what we could to be supportive of the work you guys are doing,” he continued.

“Trying to address the issue has been a focus of our management team. It hits home with everybody and they are motivated to help.”

Grant was speaking in the company’s Vancouver board room at 1030 West Georgia, which contains dozens of huge photographs of the many and various projects the company has built or is building across the region.

This year, the company has committed to donating $79,000 to help feed and clothe children in Vancouver and $100,000 to five inner-city Surrey schools.

In Surrey, PCI deals directly with the school district, but Grant said those donations came as the result of Adopt-A-School stories outlining the plight of children there.

The company is also committing to a multi-year “adoption” of Queen Alexandra Elementary in Vancouver to provide food, clothing and other necessities to children and families in one of the neediest inner-city schools in the city.

In Vancouver, PCI Developments’ donation will be used to support children in Grandview, Strathcona, and Queen Alexandra elementary schools, as well as the West Alternative Program for secondary students.

In Surrey, funds will be used to support A.H.P. Matthew, Forsyth Road, Lena Shaw, Old Yale Road, and Georges Vanier elementary schools.

“For a company like ours, we think it’s important to help the communities we work in. I would encourage other companies to consider helping, too,” Grant said.

The company is about to start a large project in Port Moody and will consider helping schools there.

“When we think about our region and how fortunate we are to live here — it really is a special place — but there’s a tremendous need and we want to help,” he said.

This year, the Adopt-A-School campaign has received requests from hundreds of schools for help totalling $2.8 million, of which $2.2 million is for food, clothing and other necessities.

Schools are reporting record numbers of children arriving at school hungry or improperly dressed for the winter.

Teachers say this is being caused by a cost-of-living crisis affecting low-income families or families relying on income assistance who are unable to pay rent and adequately feed themselves.

How to donate

1. ONLINE: Donate online with a credit card at www.vansunkidsfund.ca

2. PHONE: To pay by credit card, call 604-813-8673.

By Gerry Bellett (gbellett@gmail.com)