Event details: The Rotary Club of Surrey-Newton Rotary Club will be holding their annual Food Drive on Sunday, November 13, 2016, at the Parking Lot of Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar - 12885 85 Avenue, Surrey.
The food and donations collected from this event will help support a number of food-related initiatives for low-income families, children, and individuals in Surrey.
The Projects:
The Surrey-Newton Rotary Club will support the following initiatives this year including:
(a) The continuation of the Club’s commitment to helping end hunger in partnership with the “Surrey Food Bank”.
(b) The newly established partnership to support the “Starfish Backpack Program” in Surrey Schools.
(c) Renewed commitment to provide financial support through the “Adopt a School Program”.
Why Surrey Food Bank:
The Surrey Food Bank distributes food to over 13,000 people per month through its network of local communities and receives no government funding. Over the last five years, the Surrey-Newton Rotary Club has been collecting and donating to the Surrey Food Bank.
What is Starfish:
The Starfish Pack Backpack Program provides food to children who otherwise would not have access to nutritious food over the weekend. This program was created in response to teachers that were heartbroken to hear their students were coming to class Monday morning hungry, reporting they had not eaten over the weekend.
For example, in the Abbotsford School District, sadly 400 elementary school children were identified as not having meals over the weekend. This initiative now helps provide over 263 backpacks filled with food over the weekend for students in 22 different schools in Abbotsford. The Surrey-Newton Rotary Club believes in the importance of nutritious meals for children to help them function at school, therefore, has started a year-long commitment to provide free food to low-income children in identified schools in Surrey.
This project is in collaboration with other local Rotary Clubs in the Surrey area. The cost of one Starfish Backpack for the entire school year is approximate $600.
Adopt a School Program:
The Surrey-Newton Rotary Club has also renewed its commitment to support a hot breakfast program in a Surrey school. The children come to this school in the mornings without a breakfast meal. This initiative will cost approximately $800 month and will provide breakfast to students in the identified school. The club members will be volunteering their time to distribute breakfast food every morning.
Provide your Support for the Food Drive: It would be impossible to achieve the vision of a Surrey where no one goes hungry without partnerships and collaboration with community members and local businesses.
All proceeds including funds and food collected throughout the year will be applied towards these initiatives. Year after year, the volunteer members of the Surrey-Newton Rotary Club are committed to carrying on the legacy of supporting the community by organizing and leading a variety of projects and programs. All of these Rotary programs are delivered without any government funding and depend on the generous support of community members such as yourselves.
Please donate generously and show your support to provide wholesome food to hungry families, children and seniors in every corner of our city. We look forward to maintaining this upward momentum and continuing our mutual friendship as we plan future community initiatives to serve our community.
