1 IN 6 CHILDREN ARE LIVING IN POVERTY
In our local community of Mandurah and the Peel region, there are hungry children who don't know where their next meal is coming from. For those who depend on school breakfast clubs or the kindness of their teachers throughout the week, each weekend brings anxiety, stress, fear and empty cupboards.
The ever increasing cost of rent, household expenses and childcare has created an affordability crisis, and it has hit children and their families the hardest. One in five children in our local community are experiencing food insecurity.
We Feed Mandurah & Peels Most Vulnerable Kids Every Weekend
Every Friday, we ensure that hungry kids across the Mandurah and Peel region have meals and snacks to last the weekend. With a growing network of schools distribution partners across the region, Backpack Buddies with the support of YouthCARE gets bags of food into the hands of over 180 kids every Friday. This means many will no longer wonder where their next meal is coming from.
180
Kids reached every week.
16
Local school partners.
24,300
Meals delivered to date in 2025
Hunger Doesn't take the weekend off
Imagine being 6 years old and knowing your next substantial meal may not come for days. Your days start and end with the pain of hunger.
There are more than 5,000 Children in our local schools who are at risk of or experiencing food insecurity. Whilst many have access to school breakfast clubs and support from teachers during school hours, Western Australia has no state or federally funded weekend or school holiday food programs for schoolchildren.
Studies show that children who are experiencing food insecurity incur delays in their physical, intellextual and emotional development.
This is where we come in...
In our community, some schools are fortunate to host breakfast clubs, but unfortunately, not all students have access to this support. For many children, weekends and school holidays bring worries about where their next meal will come from.
But amidst this challenge, there's a ray of hope. Thanks to Telethon, and Bridge Builders as a 2024 beneficiary, hungry kids in our area will have access to vital assistance. Backpack Buddies is ensuring that no child faces hunger by delivering nutritious meals directly to those who need them most for the weekends.
With every Backpack distribute, Bridge Builders isn't just filling empty stomachs; they're nurturing aspirations, strengthening futures, and creating a safety net of care and empathy for our community's most vulnerable members.
THE WEEKEND HUNGER GAP
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Rising housing costs hit low-income families harder, with rents increasing by 17.8% for lower quartile rentals between 2020-2022.
3.7 million people including 823,000 children are living below the poverty line in Australia.
Children who experience poverty and housing stress are significantly more likely to suffer nervousness or feel unhappy with their lives for up to ten years after leaving home.
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WHAT'S IN A BACKPACK
Food is selected in consultation with nutritionists and educators. Our bags are kid-approved, easy to prepare, and varied – perfect for growing children.
Ready-to-Eat
All our food is ready-to-eat because many of the kids we serve may be left home alone. They will have to prepare this food by themselves, often with very limited access to a microwave, stove or oven.
Largely Non-Perishable
Most of the food chosen will be non-perishable because often kids may not have access to appropriate food storage space at home. We recognise the importance of fresh fruit and veggies and include fresh items that last a while outside the fridge like apples, oranges and carrots.
Kid Approved
Every item in our bags will be kid-approved because, most children are not particularly adventurous in their eating habits—they like and eat what they know.