United Way BC's School's Out program supports 1,200 kids through summer hunger

United Way BC's School's Out Summer Program is providing groceries, healthy snacks, and free activities to about 1,200 children across the Lower Mainland — but demand is far outpacing capacity.

The program currently operates at 22 sites across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. Trisha Dulku with United Way BC said the waitlist is triple the current enrollment, underscoring the scale of child food insecurity.

"Children now make up roughly one-third of food bank users in Canada," Dulku said. "If that is compounded with food insecurity — the lethargicness, kids feeling disengaged, not being able to focus because they're hungry — it will really lead to some detrimental effects on our kids, and we need to invest in our kids."

Awista Hashemi, who moved to Canada from Afghanistan more than two years ago with her two sons Saihoon and Sabahoon, said the support has eased a difficult transition. "It's totally hard to manage the life here, because you leave behind everything. You come here, family, everything, but we start here, like, help the community. The community help us so much," she said. "They give us groceries, healthy snacks for kids, and like, vegetables, carrots, like these things are so helpful for the families."

Her sons have responded enthusiastically to the program's structured activities and peer connections. "They make a new friend, good behaviours. Yeah. They're excited every time they are coming to see. Wake up in the morning, they're excited to go to the program," Hashemi said.

The program connects families not only with food but also with free summer activities that help children stay active, make friends, and keep learning during the months when school meal programs are unavailable — a particularly pressing issue for families already relying on school food support.