Port Alberni Backpack Program Society

Our purpose is to help children living in or near poverty in the Alberni Valley elementary schools who may have food security issues. In 2024 we provided help to approximately 120 families. We strive to ensure elementary school age children with food insecurity issues are supplemented with weekend food. The bags are distributed on Thursdays to help supplement food for the weekend when there are no school based food programs available. We provide a recipe and the food to prepare it plus extra's. Our program includes providing groceries to families living close to poverty at the Port Alberni elementary schools of Maquinna EJ Dunn Tsumas-as Alberni Elementary Wood and Hummingbird Daycare. In 2024 we had over 20 volunteers who helped in various ways including doing the grocery shopping bagging the groceries for pick up and delivery sorting through and allocating the donated food items from Loaves and Fishes contacting some of the families the night before preparing the recipes researching and applying for grants etc. In 2024 we applied for grants that would financially support our program so we could source more locally produced food and distribute it to our families. This was a success as we supported local farmers and introduced our families to more locally produced food.