A program to provide food to children and families in need will continue for a second year.
The Penny Lane Pack Program, supporting children between the ages of five and 11 who need more food at home, will operate during the 2019 to 2020 school year in Summerland.
The program is operated by the Penny Lane Legacy Fund, Marketplace IGA in Summerland and community volunteers.
Last year, 349 backpacks were sent home over the weekends between November and June.
During the weekdays, there are breakfast and lunch programs in place at Summerland schools.
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Each student in the program is given a backpack at the end of the school day on Friday, or on Thursday if Friday is a school holiday. The backpack contains two days worth of food and small treats for the weekend. There will be enough to share with their families.
There are two food assortments given out. One includes instant porridge, baked beans, wraps, peanut butter, pasta sauce, pasta, apples, oranges and individually packaged Rice Krispie squares. The other includes cereal, canned soup, gold fish crackers, wraps, tinned tuna, chicken or ham, rice, chili seasoning, chili-style beans, canned tomatoes, apples and oranges.
Linda Van Alphen, program coordinator, said the backpacks contain enough food to help the child and the family on the weekends.
She added that the backpack program should not be seen as a permanent fix for families but rather as a way of helping during a difficult time.
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