Good nutrition is an important factor in how well children perform in school, as well as their general health and well being.
To ensure students from less fortunate families have enough to eat, the Cowichan Valley School District is providing hundreds of food hampers each week.
School District Chair Candace Spilsbury said they’ve had plenty of help from community partners.
“It’s been quite an endeavor to develop that kind of response in a very short time, and have it out there, it’s so meaningful for our students and their families,” said Spilsbury.
Working with Shawnigan Lake school, the Starfish Backpack program launched by the Rotary Club in Duncan, and Nourish Cowichan, School District 79 is delivering up to 400 food hampers a week in the Cowichan Valley.
Spilsbury said the school district is aware of the need through school programs and now that children are learning from home, they have shifted their food programs to the homefront.
“The school district kept up to be able to prepare and distribute, but without some community organizations assisting with that, we couldn’t have responded so well,” said Spilsbury.
She added, “We really want to thank organizations like Nourish Cowichan, Starfish (Backpack program), and Shawnigan Lake Community School.”
