As principal of Prince George Secondary, with its 1,500 students drawn from the city and nearby rural areas, Randy Halpape is aware that some of his families are struggling to feed themselves.
‘We understand that (some) students often leave school for the day wondering when their next meal will be’
“Some families are finding it harder and harder as the cost of living goes up,” said Halpape. “They have less money to go around.”
Having less money inevitably translates into less food at home, and the spectre of hunger is real in some households.
As he sees it, the only solution is to send food home.
And for that Halpape, and Maria Turay of the Prince George school district, have designed a program that will feed students and families during the times when they are without food or money.
“We understand that (some) students often leave school for the day wondering when their next meal will be,” said Turay.
Halpape said his school was “good at providing students access to breakfast and lunch, but once they leave the building for evenings or at weekends there’s a gap.”
To fill it, food kits will be available that will include ingredients to make a meal or two to get families through the weekend or at times during the week.
“The meals will be simple yet nutritious and easy for most high school students and caregivers to make themselves,” said Turay.
The kits will be provided at the end of the day.
“We hope to give students the skills they can carry forward for when they start their own families.”
“Anyone can search for a recipe on the internet, but that’s not what we are trying to do. We want to factor in budget-friendly meals and give instructions that are more than just a recipe so kids and parents can cook a cost-effective meal and replicate it in the future,” she said.
To do this, the school is asking The Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund, which administers the Adopt-A-School campaign for $25,000 that will pay for the food kits, in-school snacks and provide some basic necessities and clothing for students in need.
The aim is to provide about 125 meal kits a month to families.
Many families in need of at-home food live in rural areas — too far from supermarkets in the city — making it impractical for the school to supply them with grocery cards. Hence, supplies of food are delivered to the school for distribution.
Food in the region is more expensive than in the Lower Mainland. Halpape said some of the higher-paying jobs in the forestry sector and other traditional industries have been lost “as we transition to new opportunities in the province.”
“So, the need is there for families. And our goal is to support them.”
Since 2011, The Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund has distributed more than $15.1 million in aid to hundreds of schools to relieve the effects of child poverty. The money has provided breakfast and lunch for children coming to school hungry and other necessities needed for their welfare such as clothing.
This fall, Adopt-A-School has received 164 requests totalling $1.5 million from schools.
No administration costs are deducted from donations. All money will be directed to schools.
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)
