The Lunch Buddies Program was built around a simple belief: Every Child Needs a Cheerleader.
At the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools, that belief continues to guide our work. We see every day how powerful a single, consistent connection can be. When students feel noticed, supported, and encouraged, their confidence grows—and so does their capacity to succeed. That’s why we invest in programs like Lunch Buddies that reduce barriers and create meaningful relationships within the school day. By connecting students with caring adults and fostering a sense of belonging, the Lunch Buddies Program brings our shared vision to life—one relationship, one lunch, and one cheerleader at a time.
A Simple Idea with Lasting Impact
The Lunch Buddies Program pairs students with caring adult mentors who meet once a week during lunch. These consistent, positive connections help students build self‑esteem, develop important life skills, and feel genuinely seen and supported.
As Carla Feltz, Community Outreach and Engagement Coordinator for Vancouver Public Schools, explains, “It’s so beneficial to a child to have another safe, caring adult in their life. The evidence tells us that the more safe, caring adults a child has, the more successful they are in life.”
Through Lunch Buddies, volunteers have the opportunity to be that safe, caring adult—and make a lasting impact.
Volunteers make a difference by:
- Showing students that their community cares about them
- Building students’ trust and confidence
- Often improving student attendance
- Helping students develop a stronger, more positive self-image
Another powerful impact of the Lunch Buddies Program is the way mentors help students imagine what’s possible by sharing their own real‑life experiences and career journeys.
“These working professionals have the opportunity to share about their career and the different things that they have done in their life,” said Carla. “It opens the students’ eyes to dream about the possibilities of the different things they can do in our world.”
How It Works
The Lunch Buddies Program is available at all participating Vancouver Public Schools elementary schools.
- Students are referred by teachers, counselors, or administrators
- Parents provide permission before participation
- Students are matched with a volunteer mentor
- Buddies meet once a week for about 45 minutes throughout the school year
- Time together may include lunch, games, reading, crafts, or conversation
Consistency is key. By showing up week after week, mentors help model reliability, encouragement, and care—qualities that leave a lasting impression on a child’s life.
Decades of Impact: A Lunch Buddy’s Perspective
We sat down with Barbara Nordstrom, a longtime champion of the Lunch Buddies Program whose leadership and dedication helped shape the initiative during a pivotal decade of growth. From 2002 to 2012, Barbara worked within the program, launching Lunch Buddies at Walnut Grove and Eisenhower, supporting the program’s early expansion at Hazel Dell, and later joining the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools as Lunch Buddy Coordinator—a role funded in part by the Vancouver Rotary Club. In that position, she oversaw implementation across all participating VPS schools, helping to lay the foundation for the program’s lasting impact.
For Barbara, the most powerful part of the experience was the rare opportunity to give a child undivided attention.
“How often do you get to spend one‑on‑one time with one person for 45 minutes, just focusing on you?” she asked. “It was such a great program to be able to help kids who needed that extra support.”
According to Barbara, the Lunch Buddies Program helps build children’s self‑confidence, strengthen communication skills, and encourages personal growth and maturity. Just as importantly, the program sends a clear and lasting message to students: you matter.
While the one‑on‑one time is transformative for students, it leaves a lasting mark on volunteers as well. When asked to sum up the Lunch Buddy experience in a single word, Barbara paused for a moment before answering.
“Worthwhile,” she said—for both the children and the adults.
A Growing Need—and Opportunity
Currently, there are about 150 active Lunch Buddies, but the need is always there. There are often more students waiting for a mentor than there are volunteers available.
Every match represents a child who now has another person looking out for them—and there are many more students who could benefit from this connection.
Be the Difference
Becoming a Lunch Buddy is a simple yet meaningful way to show up as the cheerleader every child needs. Volunteers choose the school and day that works best for them, making it a flexible commitment with a powerful impact. What matters most isn’t having all the answers—it’s showing up consistently and taking the time to build a positive, trusting relationship.
That impact goes both ways. With just 45 minutes a week, volunteers help shape a student’s confidence, sense of belonging, and belief in their own potential—while also walking away with something meaningful themselves.
One Lunch Buddy put it this way:
“Being a Lunch Buddy is the best 40 minutes of my week. I enjoy building a positive connection with a student while laughing, being silly, and playing games together.”
Through programs like Lunch Buddies, the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools continues to invest in relationships that help students feel seen, supported, and ready to succeed.
Because sometimes, the most powerful support doesn’t start with a grand gesture—it starts with showing up, sitting down, and sharing lunch.
To learn more or get involved, contact Carla Feltz at (360) 313‑4718 or carla.feltz@vansd.org, or visit the Vancouver Public Schools volunteer page to sign up.
