On a recent July Saturday Evena visited a Guildford school parking lot, one of four designated Local Love Food Hubs especially for children and families attending inner city schools in Surrey. She was there to pick up much-needed supports from volunteers at the City Dream Centre – a grocery hamper filled with bread, fresh produce, pasta and sauce, cereal, canned chicken, chili, quick oats, rice, soup, and more. Staff and volunteers at the centre order, pack and transport food to distribution locations.
“To come out here today just brings relief knowing that I have something for the kids for the next couple of weeks. Without support like this we can’t move forward,” says the mother of two.
Bi-weekly throughout the summer, approximately 450 families like Evena’s will receive a hamper filled with nutritious food. It’s part of a three-way partnership between the City Dream Centre, the Surrey School District and United Way British Columbia’s Local Love Food Hubs initiative to help ensure kids and their families have enough to eat.
“Imagine not knowing how you were going to feed your children from one day to the next. These past few months, we have seen such anxiety in families. They feel vulnerable and alone,” says Loretta Hibbs, Founder and President of City Dream Centre. “Many of the most marginalized population haven’t known where their next meal will come from. It’s been difficult as their regular support programs have halted through this crisis.”
The organization has worked with the Surrey School district for a number of years coordinating support through local churches who are wanting to help with everything from food security for families in need, to school supplies for students starting off a new school year.
An urgent need
Prior to COVID-19, the Surrey School District served almost 4,000 meals daily to vulnerable students through breakfast and lunch programs at elementary and high schools. When schools closed due to the pandemic, the district had to shift its delivery of school-based meal programs to the over 2,100 students who don’t otherwise have access to nutritious meals.
With support from United Way, school districts across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, like Surrey, quickly adapted their programs to answer to escalating needs, not just from students but their families as well. The Local Love Food Hub initiative provided $160,000 to support this need during the first few months of the pandemic.
Summer brings uncertainty
With summer fast approaching, there was heightened concern that children and families needing food support might not get it. Thanks to funding from the Federal government through the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF), many are.
“Summer is always a tough time when it comes to making sure vulnerable children get the food they need to stay healthy. The COVID pandemic has made this even more challenging for families coping with layoffs and underemployment,” says Kim Winchell, Senior Director, Strategy & Operations, Community Impact and Investment at United Way British Columbia. “The ECSF has been instrumental in supporting the Local Love adapted meal programs to ensure this critical support is available in July and August.”
Families were referred to the City Dream Centre’s summer hamper program based on greatest need by district staff as the school year came to a close
“ECSF/United Way support of this program is helping ensure the continuation of the program over the summer,” says Laurie Larsen, Chair of Surrey Board of Education. “Partners like the City Dream Centre and the United Way are helping ensure food security for students during this difficult time.”
Support from government and community
Loretta, Founder and President of City Dream Centre, Barb, Eva, and Brianne preparing for distribution of food hampers in Surrey.
Thanks to the Emergency Community Support Fund and donors like you, over $125,000 has been invested in Local Love Food Hubs adapted meal programs for children and families across the region this summer.
“It’s so important to have the support from United Way,” says Loretta. “Knowing that the finances were given we could then concentrate on the families and volunteers to get the support out to those who need it the most, the children.”
“[To] who put this together I would personally like to say thank you. It warms my heart to know that this comes from the United Way. I hope that many other families feel like I do. We appreciate it,” says Evena.
To date, over 303,000 people including children, families and seniors have received 489,000 meals and 89,000 grocery hampers through 124 United Way Local Love Food Hubs.
Help us address the urgent need for food, donate today.
