Regina organizations help kids with backpacks, school supplies

As kids get ready to head back to school, backpacks and school supplies are the last things they should have to worry about.

With the costs of inflation, local organizations in Regina are doing their part to help alleviate concerns of affordable back-to-school gear for kids.

0:47 Regina’s Haven of Hope expecting to fill 800 backpacks with school supplies for young students

“A lot of the kids (and) the families that we help, they’re struggling because of inflation,” said Tim Fraser, Salvation Army Corps Officer. “They’re struggling because of the cost of living and the simple things like filling a backpack for kids they can’t afford.”

The Salvation Army Haven of Hope runs a yearly program called Backpack for Kids where registration reached its capacity with more than 800 backpacks spoken for.

“We’ve had to downscale that this year, largely due to inflation and costs and budgets,” he said. “Everything is just more expensive these days.”

Inside the backpacks, registered kids will receive a binder, duotang, pencil, crayons, markers, pens and exercise books.

“Everything a child needs to enter the classroom, not feeling that they’re singled out because they don’t have the stuff that they require,” said Fraser.

“As a parent myself, as someone who has two kids, I know the struggle of the cost of school supplies and the cost of that weight (that’s) on a parent to be able to provide for their children.”

Jessica Dunn, a realtor with JC Realty Regina, is a community partner with the North Central Family Centre, where donations are collected for new or gently-used backpacks which are then filled with school supplies for families in need.

“We thought that donating our gently-used items and new stuff to North Central Family Centre would be a great initiative because they are looking for those things right now,” said Dunn. “I know money’s (a) little tight this year — if (people) can’t financially donate, maybe they can offer some things that they had lying around the house.”

Dunn and Fraser are just two of many local residents who help bring smiles to kids to kick off the school year.

“It fills me with joy just to be able to provide something like that to another family,” said Fraser.

5:58 How to organize your home for back-to-school