The need for food has increased across the region and Nourish Cowichan has been answering the call, but they say help is needed to provide meals to kids.
The fifth annual Sun-a-thon is underway to help raise money to feed an estimated 2,700 students in 23 schools, but as the cost-of-living increases, Nourish Cowichan says they’ve seen the need for food in schools grow by over 35 per cent.
Since 2022, Nourish Cowichan has supplied an increased amount of weekend grocery bags starting with 12,473, climbing to over 17,000 in 2023/2024 and the following year had an estimated 19,000.
Nourish Cowichan executive director Fatima Da Silva says each year the need increases, and partnering with the community to raise funds to feed students in need is heartwarming and inspiring.
“I never take this for granted,” she says. “It’s so heartwarming for all of us, and we look forward to it.
“It also gives us a chance to be here and meet donors and have a good laugh while we do something so meaningful.”
It’s estimated the operating costs for; last year were over $1.3 million and co-founder/executive director Fatima Da Silva says it will cost more as the need grows.
“We’re going to be around $1.5 or $1.6 million this year,” she says. “We would like to know what the cost is going to be, but we don’t like to get tied up with a strict budget.
“This allows us to always say yes to another student or family, it also allows us to work with our suppliers to get the best prices we can.”
The Old Farm Market is one of Nourish Cowichan’s suppliers, and owner Chris Steel says helping a program that supports kids and helps combat hunger is one he couldn’t turn down, especially as the need grows.
“It’s impossible not to get inspired when you hear the stories and see the facility, and meet the people,” he says. “Everyone wants to feed kids, but it’s a whole other thing when you’re integrated into seeing what it looks like.
“Ever since then, it has been a real mission for us at the market to support whatever they do.”
The Sun-a-thon runs until Jun. 20 at 6 p.m. and in the last four years has helped raise over $180,000.
Nourish Cowichan is a non-profit that currently has three full-time staff, three part-time staff as well as a team of 70 volunteers.
