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Please go to www.starfishpack.com to see the whole story on the Starfish Back Pack Project and this is also the place where you can donate directly.
Cost to fill one backpack for the entire year is $525.00 per child.
MeadowRidge Rotary Club is proud to cover any expenses not related to the direct cost of the food, including the actual backpacks ($35 each), website, donor recognition and any other related costs. The result is that 100% of donated money goes entirely towards food for the kids!
MeadowRidge Rotary Club is the “glue” to put it all together; connecting stakeholders, making sure we have community partners that take care of ordering the food, packing the backpacks, picking them up and dropping them off at the schools, providing tax receipts, and bringing the issue of hungry kids in our own backyard to the forefront of the local community.
Our first school: Golden Ears Elementary, required 10 backpacks weekly at that time.
To date we have 27 donors who have donated 70 backpacks for a cost of $525 each, just by word of mouth.
Our club committed to provide a minimum of 20 backpacks per week for the first year; maybe more depending on community donations.
Below are some comments from partners and Rotarians:
Thank You Starfish Backpack Team!
All 5 parents of the students, who we give backpacks to every week, are so grateful. They appreciate the food and how it relieves the stress, for a couple of days of worrying about food.
Our teachers love it too as they see how it benefits their needy students.
Well done everyone and thank you for your help.
All 5 parents of the students, who we give backpacks to every week, are so grateful. They appreciate the food and how it relieves the stress, for a couple of days of worrying about food.
Our teachers love it too as they see how it benefits their needy students.
Well done everyone and thank you for your help.
Ramin Mehrassa
Principal, Webster’s Corners Elementary
“This program is important to me both as a parent and as a Rotarian, because it has opened my eyes to the number of children in our community that go home hungry. Our schools are doing a good job finding resources for lunches and breakfasts, but there is definitely a gap when it comes to the weekend. The Starfish Back Pack Program will assist with that need. Kids will have a back pack full of food to look forward to each Friday and hopefully come back to school on Monday with full stomachs and clear minds. It’s pretty hard to focus when you are hungry and have no energy to keep you going. This is a wonderful partnership with many community groups and I am so happy to be a part of it!”
Angie Blanco
President-Elect MeadowRidge Rotary Club
The Friends in Need Food Bank is very excited that the Rotary Club of MeadowRidge is spearheading the Starfish Backpack Program as it is a continuation of our School Meals & Snack Program which provides food to children in SD42 who would otherwise be without. Ensuring our children receive proper nutrition is the first step in ensuring they have the necessary tools to learn.
Mary Robson
Executive Director, Friends in Need Food Bank
There are many more hungry and vulnerable kids within our local schools than we often realize. The Starfish Project is a concrete way to help children (and families) to eat better and feel more connected with their school and community. For these families, the Starfish Project, will help to further strengthen the important and caring relationships between home and school. I believe it will make the weekends a whole lot better for many children and families!
There are many more hungry and vulnerable kids within our local schools than we often realize. The Starfish Project is a concrete way to help children (and families) to eat better and feel more connected with their school and community. For these families, the Starfish Project, will help to further strengthen the important and caring relationships between home and school. I believe it will make the weekends a whole lot better for many children and families!
Jon Wheatley
Principal Golden Ears Elementary School
Principal Golden Ears Elementary School
When I first found out about the Starfish Pack project, I was shocked to realize how many kids in my own backyard are hungry; something soo unimaginable in this country, in my community?
I’m worried about our children, grandchildren, neighbours’ children, people I work with every day......what can I do right now?
The Starfish Pack Project seems to me a very direct program, where we can assist one child at a time....it’s working in neighbouring communities already, it’s simple, affordable and the whole community can easily get involved.
The Starfish Pack Project seems to me a very direct program, where we can assist one child at a time....it’s working in neighbouring communities already, it’s simple, affordable and the whole community can easily get involved.
This is a project my Rotary Club can be a leader in, giving back to our own community, making a difference one child at the time.
Starfish Packs are changing lives; will you partner with us?
Ineke Boekhorst
President 2016/17 Meadow Ridge Rotary Club
The Starfish Backpack program allows our most vulnerable families to serve warm meals over the weekend. This makes a considerable impact as students arrive back to school on Monday well nourished and ready to learn. We are very grateful to the Maple Ridge community for offering such support.
The Starfish Backpack program allows our most vulnerable families to serve warm meals over the weekend. This makes a considerable impact as students arrive back to school on Monday well nourished and ready to learn. We are very grateful to the Maple Ridge community for offering such support.
Kristi Blakeway
Principal Harry Hooge Elementary
Principal Harry Hooge Elementary
Here is a video with some very powerful testimonials: