Community Donations Save Oliver-area School Food Program

Thanks to community donations, the Oliver-area school food program has been saved from closure.

A recent initiative by Castanet Oliver/Osoyoos reports that community donations have saved the Oliver-area school food program from closure. The program, which supports four schools in the area - Oliver Elementary, Southern Okanagan Secondary, Tuc-el-Nuit Elementary, and Okanagan Falls Elementary - has seen a significant increase in the number of students using the service, with 45 kids now participating compared to 30 last year.

The program, known as the Starfish Pack, provides meals over weekends and is entirely volunteer-led. The costs for the program are $1,000 per week or $40,000 total for a school year. Community donations have ensured that the program can continue to operate into the future.

To maintain the program's funding, ongoing donations are required. The Oliver-area Starfish Pack relies on proceeds from its volunteer-led efforts to provide meals over weekends. With community support, the program has been able to avoid closure and continue serving students in need.