Burnett Fellowship Church in Maple Ridge is hosting a Carboot Sale on June 10 to help feed hungry students.
That day, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., local residents can load up their vehicles with items to sell and set up in the parking lot at the church, located at 20639 – 123 Avenue.
The church will be accepting donations from anything sold that day to go towards the Starfish Pack program.
“It’s a community garage sale,” said Barry Waterman, a volunteer with Burnett Fellowship.
The event will also feature a pancake breakfast, hot dog sale, lemonade stand, as well as candy grab bags and bake sale.
The goal is to raise $6,000 for the program, Waterman said.
The church held a carboot sale last year and raised the same amount, donating the proceeds to a refugee family.
This year, church volunteers chose to assist the Starfish pack program.
Meadowridge Rotary launched the Starfish Backpack project in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows at the end of September.
Students, identified by their schools, are given a backpack filled with food to take home on Friday afternoons. Each backpack contains food for two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners and snacks.
In Maple Ridge, all the food is provided by Save-On Foods at Valley Fair Mall at cost. Meadowridge and Haney Rotary clubs provide the backpacks, which are filled with food by volunteers at Burnett Fellowship Church, then delivered to participating schools.
Waterman said church volunteers aim to raise enough to provide packs for students in need at Eric Langton elementary.
“The program has been very successful and presently 27 backpacks are delivered every Friday to six elementary schools, feeding 27 kids weekly,” said Ineke Boekhorst, with Meadowridge Rotary.
“We are hoping to find enough sponsors to fill the need in Eric Langton school, presently in need of about 53 backpacks weekly, starting September 2017.”
She added that Burnett Fellowship is one of the program’s strongest supporters, and that the Carboot Sale is “a fantastic initiative.”
The cost to sponsor a backpack for one child for a year is $525, which is tax deductible.
• Visit starfishpack.com, Maple Ridge, for more information or to donate directly.