Community members filled 1,500 backpacks with school supplies Tuesday, preparing them for unprivileged children in Saskatoon who are gearing up to go back to class.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made this back-to-school season more stressful than ever, but Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand said it’s particularly hard for families that can’t cover the cost of new supplies.
“We’re making sure that people have a chance to get educated,” said Arcand, whose organization helps organize the annual event.
“We want those kids to feel like they’re secure and meaningful when they actually go into that classroom.”
The backpacks will be delivered to students of all ages later this week.
About 30 volunteers packed the bags at White Buffalo Youth Lodge, filling them with pencils, binders, rulers, hand sanitizer, masks and more.
The supplies were donated by local businesses and community agencies, including Nutrien and the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
“All of our partners have come together to make sure that every kid has a chance at success through education,” Arcand said.
One sponsor said she’s surprised they managed to raise $100,000 for the initiative in the middle of the pandemic.
“I thought there would be a little less ability to help support community events and (my expectations) were blown out of the water … with the support that we’ve received,” said Mary Panteluk, human resources vice president with Kelly Panteluk Construction Ltd.
“Especially during these unprecedented times, there’s always people that need an extra hand.”
In addition to the pandemic, Arcand said underlying issues like addiction and mental illness can make it challenging to cover back-to-school expenses.
“If we can work on those things to get people healthier and better, so they can actually get an income and a job… I think it’s going to benefit their families,” he said, highlighting personalized case management and supportive housing as particularly crucial supports.
Saskatchewan social services minister Paul Merriman said there are programs that can help the families who will make use of the backpacks, like income support.
“Whatever our clients need, we’re going to try to help them out as much as we can,” Merriman said.
“If there’s anybody that’s… on assistance, we can work with them on a case-by-case basis if they need some extra help with their kids.”
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