VICTORIA -- The Greater Victoria School District (SD61) is distributing roughly 10,000 meals a week to families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The school district says that daily lunch meals will be offered for families who need them most.

The lunch meals will be distributed at several schools across the Greater Victoria region. A single family member from each household is welcome to pick up the meals at designated schools when they are available.

“These are incredibly challenging times for our community, and we know that many of our families are struggling with food security in addition to all the other social, emotional and financial pressures,” said SD61 board chair Jordan Watters.

“We want to do everything we can to ease that burden.”

The meals are being provided by the Ministry of Education, SD61 partners in the Food Share Network, local restaurant donors and funding from the Victoria Foundation’s Rapid Relief Fund.

The school district says it plans to expand the meal service as more food and funding becomes available.

“It’s inspiring to see how the generosity of residents in our region is so quickly being turned into on-the-ground support for those who need it most right now,” said Victoria Foundation CEO Sandra Richardson.

Further details can be found on the Greater Victoria School District’s website online here