As B.C. students prepare to head back to school, food insecurity is a concern

Safety net for cash-strapped parents For parents with kids returning to the classroom next week, this time of year can be costly. Thankfully, there’s a safety net in place.

Given the ever-increasing financial pressures being put on families, Backpack Buddies attempts to fill the gaps left in many children’s school lunch kits throughout B.C.

"We're entering this school year feeding 6,000 children a week,” said Emily-anne King, the executive director of Backpack Buddies.

The charity services 68 sites across the province.

"A site may be a school that has independently contacted us, or in some cases it is entire districts that may have a dozen or more schools,” said King.

On Vancouver Island, there are 30 sites on Backpack Buddies' waitlist – as families aren’t the only ones feeling the pinch from rising costs.

"We know going into this school year we're having to go into each of our waitlist sites and say sorry, we can't help right now,” said the executive director.

"We are planning to service 675,000 servings over the next school year,” said Paul Block, superintendent of the Sooke School District.

Block says that equates to roughly 30 per cent of the district's students – a population that continues to grow every school year.

"Absolutely we're seeing a greater need,” said Block. “As we see new families coming into our area – and economically, things can be tough for young families – more and more kids are needing access to that food."

The district has 28 school meal co-ordinators with a budget of $1.6 million for it’s meal programs. That’s up from $1 million last year.

It has also found a creative way to provide for students though it’s food rescue program.

"Working with local companies like grocers (so) when food reaches it's expiry date, we're able to bring that food into the school and using one of our third party contractors, Flourish School Food Society, they're able to not recycle but repurpose that food and then deliver it to our schools,” said the superintendent.

That rescue program provides rough $75,000 worth of meals per school year.

As students prepare to head back to class, families are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet – and safety nets are feeling the pressure as well.

"Every year we are doing everything we can to raise more money but proportionately our bills are rising and so it's just kind of constantly playing catch-up and meeting the basic needs of our current commitment,” said King.