Project Backpack

With generous funding from PC Children's Charity the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cape Breton are running a program called Project Backpack.

Project Backpack is designed to help reduce food insecurity for young people and their families. Since the first week of November 2020, every Friday evening club staff led by Youth Worker Margaret MacLeod deliver a food-filled backpack to program participants homes.

Food is delivered to 36 families a week, participant families include some club members as well as community members selected by the Club in consultation with the local Food Bank, as well as Memorial Jr. High and Harbourside Elementary who are helping us identify and connect with families in need.

Families receive nutritious food that they can easily assemble into healthy meals over the weekend or during time periods when Clubs or schools are unable to provide meals.

Food is procured from Superstore and NoFrills and each case includes 2 breakfast meals, 2 lunches, and 3 suppers as well as some snack foods, primarily made up of non-perishables with the exception of bread and milk that are delivered with each food case.

The Club has made it a priority to include foods that are easy for kids to make themselves, so they can contribute to family meals, learn new skills, or just make themselves a snack if their grown-ups are busy working or caring for younger family members.

Project Backpack is a National program of Boys and Girls Club Canada in partnership with PC Children's Charity, it's through these types of National initiatives and partnerships that we are able to make a real impact on a local level.