HALIFAX – School is out for summer, but Renuka Koilpillai is already focused on September.
The Grade 11 student, at Halifax Grammar School, is working with the Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank to help them with their Backpacks for Back to School program.
In fact, she’s been working on the project since the summer of 2012.
“I really wanted to get involved in because, of course, there is such a basic need,” she says. “And, sometimes you don’t realize it’s such a basic need because it’s not only pencils and paper — it’s also sneakers and backpacks.”
She’s hoping to collect as many backpacks, school supplies and donations as she can before Labor Day, so the furniture bank can hand out fully-stocked bags to families in need.
“I love to go school supply shopping. I always have,” Koilpillai said. “I don’t know if that’s weird or whatever. But, I love to do it. It was fun.”
“It’s sad that sometimes not all kids get to do that and I wanted to give part of that experience to at least some of the kids,” she said. “There shouldn’t be anything holding them back from enjoying that school experience.”
Last year, the line up to get a bag was around the corner.
While maintaining her part-time job at a retail store in Halifax and studying for the SAT exams, Koilpillai is also working on a challenge to local businesses — to bolster support for the school supply program.
She received 1,000 through the Gordon Stirrett Wealth Management Community Service Award, which she plans to spend on advertising her ‘challenge,’ using local media.
“This year, I kinda want to raise the bar a little bit and I’m issuing a challenge to all businesses in HRM to donate at least one back pack or the cost of a filled back pack, which is at least $60,” she said.
In 2012, Nova Scotia Power was able to donate dozens of backpacks to the cause and Koilpillai hopes other corporations will follow suit. She points out there is also a need for specialized supplies for older students, like graphing calculators and math kits.
Due to graduate next spring, Koilpillai is already canvassing her school for an appropriate successor, so the program will continue once she’s at university.
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