Backpack Buddies helps Surrey students over spring break<\/p>\n
Published 2:30 pm Thursday, March 12, 2026<\/p>\n
With spring break just around the corner for students, one reality remains unchanged for many families: hunger doesn\u2019t take a break.<\/p>\n
For thousands of children in Surrey, spring break means two weeks without school-provided meals.<\/p>\n
Backpack Buddies is deepening its already established partnership with Surrey Schools by stepping in to make sure students in the school district don\u2019t go without food this break.<\/p>\n
This B.C.-based charity has been working with Surrey Schools for about eight years and is known for bridging that two-day weekend gap where students are not getting school meals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the rising cost of rent and groceries, many families rely on school meal programs, which aren\u2019t available on weekends or school breaks,\u201d said Emily-anne King, co-founder and executive director of Backpack Buddies.<\/p>\n
King shared that Backpack Buddies will be delivering food to children in the school district who may otherwise go without while schools are closed for the 16-day break.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile many families are packing their suitcases for a fun trip, we\u2019ll be packing backpacks with food so kids can return to school at the end of March not one step behind,\u201d said King.<\/p>\n
Since 2012, Backpack Buddies has been addressing the \u201cweekend hunger gap\u201d and now fills around 7,000 backpacks for children across the province every Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo our goal is to bridge this weekend hunger gap and make sure that our program, along with other food supporters in the community, are providing children with seven days of food security,\u201d King shared with Peace Arch News.<\/p>\n
King is hopeful that this pilot project in the Surrey school district is something that can help not only this district but others across the province. \u201cWe want to learn and grow this model so that we can keep our program running, in a dream world, at full capacity 12 months of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Backpack Buddies shares that the schools identify kids who may be struggling, then each week the charity will deliver packs containing nourishing, kid-friendly meals, fresh produce, and snacks for children to take home.<\/p>\n
\u201cCommunity partners like Backpack Buddies play an essential role in supporting the well-being of our students and their families outside of school hours,\u201d said Gary Tymoschuk, chair of the Surrey board of education, in a press release.<\/p>\n
Backpack Buddies has created its spring break hamper program for this 16-day rest period. Packs will have more items available than just the ones provided on the weekends \u2013 extra fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, rice and beans, canned fish, soup, milk, juice and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are profoundly grateful for this partnership and the care it extends across our school communities \u2013 especially during school breaks, when many students do not have access to school food programs,\u201d said Tymoschuk.<\/p>\n
When children have reliable access to nutritious food, they are better equipped to learn, grow and engage in school, he noted in the release.<\/p>\n
Tymoschuk shared he is thankful for the help of Backpack Buddies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe spring break hamper program provides meaningful support at a critical time, and we deeply appreciate Backpack Buddies\u2019 unwavering commitment to helping our students thrive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHunger doesn\u2019t take a break,\u201d explained King. \u201cIt\u2019s the continued generosity of donors that ensures we can provide nourishment to kids across B.C.\u201d<\/p>\n
She says that at Backpack Buddies they provide more than just food.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe provide consistency and stability that kids can count on week after week. It makes sense that we extend this support over spring break, so these kids have one less worry,\u201d said King.<\/p>\n