From Jeannie Harnett – School District 42
Program Manager Community Connections and Healthy Living/Food Security

“We are so grateful for this support. More and more families are finding it difficult to make it from one pay period to the next. These packs help families over the weekends, when our school food programs are not available for their children. Within the school day, we support breakfast, snack and lunch programs. We are finding it difficult to keep snack bins full, as kids are welcome to access throughout the day when ever they are hungry, removing stigma and shame. Chris and his crew are kind and flexible in their approach to support food security. Thank you to all who support the Food Bank on Wheels, making it possible for them to do the great work that they do, benefiting so many!”

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After a few initial phone conversations and emails to see how we could help, on November 17, 2023 Food Bank on Wheels met with Jeannie Harnett of School District 42, who is coordinating with partner community agencies to fill hampers, take referrals and arrange deliveries to the school families.

We began with providing Weekend Food Packs and over Christmas during our ‘Share Your Christmas’ food drive, we stepped in to provide Christmas Food Hampers to families who were unable to register with the Christmas Bureau.
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Below is a picture showing the average size of our 2023 Christmas Hampers.

Going into 2024, we will be providing surplus foods for any Emergency Food Needs that come up as well as snacks for the In-School Snack Programs.

In addition to the snacks that come through the regular donations we receive, we are also teaming up with Caffe Delish and Cartems Donuts to give the kids some yummy and healthy snacks.

It’s truly amazing when local businesses join in to do what they can and help with feeding our communities and we can’t thank these two enough.

We are very excited to be working hand in hand with SD42 where we can have a direct impact on the children and families who live in the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows communities.

We look forward to growing this awesome partnership in the days ahead. 🙂

See more about the SD42’s Food Security Programs here:
https://www.sd42.ca/sd42-security-programs/

Stop by Cartems in Coquitlam at:
91 Golden Dr #4, Coquitlam, BC V3K 6R2
Website: https://cartems.com/

Stop by Caffe Delish in Pitt Meadows at:
12528 Harris Rd, Pitt Meadows, BC V3Y 2J4
Website: https://delishglutenfree.com/caffe-delish/