Adopt-A-School: Feeding needy children and families on Denman Island has become a challenge

DENMAN ISLAND — The expression ‘the Lord helps those who help themselves’ is often cited — even in secular settings — when describing perseverance overcoming hardship by relying on one’s own devices.

It wouldn’t be out of place if applied to the efforts being made to help and support children and families in need on this small island sitting in beautiful Baynes Sound south of Comox.

Denman Island Community school is the hub of the community’s efforts to help children and families finding it difficult to deal with rising food costs, housing and all the other issues that arise when income is insufficient to cover basic expenses.

There are 50 children from four to 13 years old attending school and principal Yolanda Lehton, who arrived last year, is seeking $5,000 from The Vancouver Sun’s Adopt-A-School (AAS) program to help feed and clothe some of them.

“The food bank is actually housed in our school and it makes a lot of boxes for families,” said Lehton.

“We are a remote school and many (families) can’t afford to go off-island very often therefore we also provide some clothing and school supplies.”

Being unable to afford the ferry makes it difficult for those families to buy fresh fruit and vegetables on the mainland, while purchasing local produce is cost prohibitive.

This year’s heavy spring rains and poor pollination — “the bees didn’t come” — meant the island’s farmers “didn’t do super-well,” Lehton said.

The school offers snacks to students and once a week a lunch for everyone so there’s no disparity of need on display among students.

“Last year I had some money to do the basics,” Lehton said. “So I said ‘OK, we can do this if we just put our heads down and be thrifty.’”

It was a plan that included going out and collecting what food they could find in the ground.

It was an educational opportunity for children to learn how to harvest indigenous food and had the practical result of providing them with something to eat.

“We just tried to make do, which is totally fine. We did all kinds of foraging — even nettles and things for the kids to eat.”

Which meant lunch had vegan and vegetarian options exclusively — salads and soup broths with the scraps going to a local farm to feed the goats.

Now she would like to add something more substantial and interesting than nettles.

“Hard boiled eggs, meats in the soup and a variety of meals like taco salads that include meat, and pancake breakfasts and turkey lunches,” Lehton said.

There are almost 1,200 permanent residents living on the island and rental housing is in short supply.

“It’s quite expensive and we have housing insecurity,” she said.

“We have kids and families who don’t have houses. We have families living without running water or indoor toilets in travel trailers on people’s property.”

During her career Lehton has worked in schools on the mainland containing vulnerable students and she sees the same signs here.

“I’ve had a student who has never owned a new pair of shoes. When I came here last year I bought five new pairs of shoes and those kids were over the moon excited,” she said.

An AAS grant would allow her to buy shoes and clothes.

“Almost every kid has a pair of boots, which is great, but they don’t have shoes and then you try to do gym in bare feet and they get stepped on …”

She wants to buy shoes, running shoes, rain coats, rain pants, socks and whatever else the children need.

“We’ve been recycling items and what’s so sweet is some of these kids who’ve outgrown things will clean them up and bring them in for someone else. I can use those, too, but a boost would allow us to purchase what we need,” Lehton said.

“Many of these things are out of our reach financially but it would make a big impact on our community if we were able to move forward with funding.”

gbellett@gmail.com

vansunkidsfund.ca

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How to donate

1. ONLINE: Donate online with a credit card at vansunkidsfund.ca.

2. PHONE: To donate by credit card call 604-605-2264.

3. MAIL: Complete the donation form here and mail it to the address on the form with either completed credit card details or a cheque/money order payable to The Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund Society.

Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund Society

The Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund welcomes reader donations all year to enable us to help hungry children. Donations are tax deductible and 100 per cent of donations received go to the grant projects to help B.C.’s needy children.

Contact: Michelle Roebuck, fund administrator, at adoptaschool@vansunkidsfund.ca, or call 604-605-2264.

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