Share Backpack Program
Share is dedicated to feeding hungry children … more than 57,000 food packs are provided each year through the Backpack program.
In the Vancouver and Evergreen School Districts alone, more than 31,000 children are eligible for free or reduced-cost meals through the schools. Share’s backpack program fulfills a vital role in feeding hungry children in our community, so that they can grow up healthy and succeed in life.
Backpack Program
Bags are filled with 5-10 pounds of donated, non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food. 1,300 packs are distributed to each of the 60 schools participating in the program. Generally, each pack includes a can of vegetables, a can of fruit, a can of beans, a protein and a carbohydrate. Each child also receives a small snack item, such as a granola bar.
Backpack Program: List of Food Items Needed
The packs are discretely given out on Friday after school to ensure that children, and their families, have nutritious food to eat over the weekend. The Backpack Program operates under anonymity; we do this to protect the privacy of the children and their families as hunger and poverty are often highly stigmatized in our society.
Space in bags is limited; small or single-serve items are preferred and allow us to pack more into each bag. As these are also being distributed to young children, we do not include any glass in the bags, so plastic jars and containers are preferred.
If you are interested in coordinating a food drive for Share, please contact Susan Oberst at volunteers@sharevancouver.org or (360) 750-4436 ext. 309.
For more information on our Children’s Hunger Initiative, contact Carla Christian, Hunger Response Coordinator, at (360) 553-8064 or hungercoor@sharevancouver.org.
Learn about simple ways you can help make a real difference in people’s lives.
