Nov18
Program Coordinator Jaycee delivers Project Backpack package to families
Project Backpack provides families with food-filled backpacks that they can use to make easy, nutritious meals when Clubs or schools are unable to provide meals.
Offered to children and youth by Boys & Girls Club of Red Deer and District, the Project Backpack program:
- Provides children and youth at risk of weekend hunger with food that they can share with their family
- Gives children and youth access to healthy meals that they can easily assemble themselves
- Offers food that is tailored to the unique needs of each child’s home situation, family structure, food sensitivities, etc.
Presently the program is serving 35 participants, sharing healthy foods during critical times when they may not have access to healthy meals. Thanks to new grant funding for Project Backpack, the program will expand to support 75 participants in the new year.
“The families we’re serving are all unique. Some are single-parent families, some are multi-parent families, but what’s important is the majority of the participants in the program are kids,” says Les Waite, Program Manager for Boys & Girls Club of Red Deer and District. “They’re not just being fed. They’re learning important life skills as well.”
“Ensuring youth in our community have access to healthy food, as well as the knowledge base they need to make healthy choices is a priority for Boys and Girls Clubs nationally,” says Rob Lewis, Executive Director at Youth HQ. “We have great community partners who are helping support the program, and we’re proud to run Project Backpack in Red Deer.”
Project Backpack is generously supported by President’s Choice Children’s Charity.
Sample Project Backpack package