From castanet, Madison Reeve – Aug 24, 2025 / 8:52 pm | Story: 568188
Photo: United Way BC
Children participate in after-school activities as part of United Way BC’s expanding School’s Out program.
As the school year approaches, many families in the Okanagan are grappling with more than just supply lists and class schedules.
In communities like Kelowna, Enderby, Oliver, and Osoyoos, parents are increasingly concerned about after-school care — and whether their children will have enough to eat.
To help fill that gap, United Way British Columbia is expanding its School’s Out program this fall, including a new site in Kelowna in partnership with OCCA Communities Association.
The program supports children aged 6–12 during the critical after-school hours of 3 to 6 p.m. with academic help, mental and physical wellness activities, social skill development, and healthy snacks.
“The School’s Out program offers kids a safe space, caring adults, and opportunities to grow,” said Trisha Dulku, strategic initiatives manager at United Way British Columbia.
“For many, it also means a healthy meal they might not otherwise get. With rising costs and limited resources, more children are hungry. This program ensures they leave nourished, supported, and ready to thrive.”
New School’s Out sites are also launching in Enderby and Oliver, where child poverty rates reach nearly 17% and 19%. In those communities, the program is being delivered in partnership with Splatsin Tsm7aksaltn Society, Desert Sun Counselling and Resource Centre Society, and School District 53.
To learn more about or support School’s Out programs, visit uwbc.ca/kids.
We respectfully acknowledge that the OCCA is operating on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation.
Please note that we will have a photographer on site during the events. If you prefer not to be featured in any photographs, kindly contact OCCA at info@occabc.ca.
