New charity launches in Victoria schools to fill weekend hunger gap

A new charity is expanding into Victoria schools in an effort to tackle child hunger, which can disrupt learning and deprive students of their childhood.

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Backpack Buddies, launched Friday in Victoria, exists to fill the weekend hunger gap. While students may take advantage of school-based meal programs during the week, few supports exist on weekends, leaving children without food for up to two days. Backpack Buddies discreetly provides backpacks full of weekend meals every Friday to students in need.

The Vancouver-based organization is launching in five Victoria schools this semester and plans to provide 1,000 backpacks each month.

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“Hunger doesn’t take the weekend off and children shouldn’t suffer,” says Backpack Buddies Co-Founder and President Joanne Griffiths. “We’re expanding into Victoria for the first time because we don’t want vulnerable kids here to be hungry and fearful every Friday.”

For more information visit www.backpackbuddies.ca.