CFAX Santas Anonymous answers call for help to save Sooke school food programs [Video]

Educational assistant Shelley Crowley has been rolling out her breakfast cart at Journey Middle School in Sooke every school day for the past nine years.

“We have cereal, eggs, we always have toast,” said Crowley.

It began with just breakfast but has now expanded into a lunch program as well. The school serves more than 100 meals per day.

“It’s never-ending,” said Crowley.

Kelly Dvorak, the school’s vice-principal, says demand for the program has been growing as families continue to struggle with the rising cost of almost everything.

“It absolutely takes a village,” said Dvorak.

“We have students who, for a variety of reasons, are coming hungry to school and they need that fuel to learn.”

All the food is provided by the Sooke Food Bank, including to two similar programs at Saseenos Elementary School and Sooke Elementary School.

Now the Sooke Food Bank is seeing unprecedented demand for its services within the community.

“Today we’ve already signed up six families …