With the Cowichan Valley being identified as the highest area of Child Poverty in the province we knew this was a program that we needed, and our local school district concurred and confirmed that they are approximately 180 kids in Cowichan that are going hungry. Our group came together in September with a representative from each of the 4 Rotary Clubs above. We are working closely with School Dis
trict 79, , Save-On-Foods is on board for the food at cost, Solitaire Press is providing us with brochures, Social Media is Simple provides social media assistance, Volunteer Cowichan has provided a weekly meeting space, and Juice 89.7 FM has loaned us Kasi Johnson who has assisted greatly in our marketing and media outreach. Discussions began with the Nourish Cowichan Society https://www.nourishcowichan.ca/ in early 2017. They are a volunteer non-profit group who had just begun to provide nourishing breakfasts in one of the schools in the district. Our objectives were so similar it made sense to collaborate to provide breakfasts and weekend food for the many kids in the Cowichan Valley who need full stomachs to learn and grow properly. On Tuesday, June 27th, 2017 we announced our collaboration. Starfish Cowichan Valley will operate as a program of Nourish Cowichan Society and we are now able, as a affiliate and partner of Nourish Cowichan Society to provide tax receipts for donors. We will collaborate in fund raising efforts with our first focus to find an approved kitchen with storage facilities before the September school year begins so we are able to assist many more schools in the district. Together, we are much stronger. Cowichan Non-Profits Join Forces To Feed Local Kids
Nourish Cowichan and Starfish Cowichan both have the same goal: to help students reach their full potential by making sure they don’t go hungry. Both groups are excited to announce the Starfish Pack Program will now be operating through the Nourish Cowichan Society. These two non-profits have come together to strengthen and support each other in making sure that no child in the Cowichan Valley has to go without a meal. Nourish Cowichan started as a pilot program in November last year. Since then, the nutritional breakfast program feeds an average of 160 students in four Cowichan Valley Schools. In March 2017, the Nourish Cowichan Society became a registered charitable organization. Starfish Cowichan began their work in March of this year and began providing students with enough food every Friday to get them through the weekend. The program is currently feeding 55 children at one Cowichan Valley school. Quote from Principal of Khowhemun Elementary School, Mike Martin:
“Nourish Cowichan has been helping us to provide students with breakfasts in the morning, while Starfish Cowichan helps them take food home to their families over the weekend. Thanks to these two groups, we are able to provide support to families and children throughout the week. As these programs take flight, we are realizing there is a much greater need than we imagined. It's great to see these programs come together to tackle the issues of child hunger in our schools and our community.”
Nourish Cowichan and the Starfish Pack Program intend on increasing their presence throughout the Cowichan Valley School District in the new school year, and look forward to continued community support! For more information or to schedule an interview, contact:
Corrine Thompson
Phone: 250-709-1903 Email:
[email protected]
