The Salvation Army is running its annual backpack distribution program to help Saskatoon families fight inflation this back-to-school season.
Tables stacked with cardboard boxes full of school supplies and backpacks in every colour piled high inside the Bateman Crescent Salvation Army on Monday.
“Each year we end up getting funders, donors that are interested in supporting the backpack program so all of the supplies were purchased through donations that we received here at the Salvation Army,” said Derek Kerr with the organization.
Two thousand backpacks will be given to Saskatoon students this year.
“Last year in 2022 we did 1,500 so we had some donors that stepped up to the plate and wanted to raise their donations this year so that we could increase the numbers of backpacks that we give out,” Kerr said. “Saskatoon is a very generous community.”
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Kerr said the registration spots for the backpacks were filled in two days and the demand was nearly double the amount of supply the organization received.
“We try to make the ones for the secondary school students more relevant to them, so a little bit more detailed about what we put into the bags because we know it’s different grade levels and the needs and demands are different at that level of education,” Kerr said.
The backpacks include pencils, notebooks, sticky notes, pencil cases and all of the other things a student might need for back to school.
Volunteers meandered between the tables, grabbing supplies and carefully assembling each backpack to fit the assigned grade.
Kerr noted that amidst inflation, the Salvation Army has had more visitors through its door than ever.
“Especially at the time of back-to-school, we have a number of kids ourselves and we know how expensive it is with the rising costs of goods and services with inflation we have seen the increase in those who are needing assistance,” Kerr said.
Kerr’s goal is to have the 2,000 bags packed and ready for parent pickup later this week.
“It’s kind of organized chaos and they will go home with their backpacks later in the week,” Kerr said.