With the back-to-school season upon us, Women’s Outreach is looking to the community for school supplies for low-income families in Central Alberta.
Darcy Ouellet, fund development officer with the Women’s Outreach Society, said Tools for School program helps low-income families, single parent families, among others, who have children in kindergarten to Grade 12.
The organization fills backpacks with school supplies for Central Alberta students.
The supplies inside vary depending on the grade of the student, from crayons, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, pencil cases, highlighters, rulers, paper, scissors and so on.
The program runs in partnership between the Women’s Outreach and United Way of Central Alberta. Ouellet said he expects to give away between 2,000 to 2,100 backpacks before school starts in September.
“A lot of families are living paycheque to paycheque and back to school is a hard time, you have two or three kids and it’s anywhere from $100 to $150 for school supplies,” he said.
“(This way students) get to start the school off with the materials they need just like everybody else.”
Ouellet said the organization is looking for all types of school supplies but is running low on backpacks, binders, markers, pencil crayons, white glue and glue sticks.
He said the demand is high this year, just as it was last year, when the organization gave away just over 2,000 backpacks.
“I’m anticipating probably around 2,100 backpacks again this year,” he said.
“There are still lot of people struggling to make ends meet and we will do everything we can to make sure these kids get the supplies they need.”
In 2016, the number of backpacks donated was 1,700.
“So last year was a big increase… economic times last year — and I’m guessing things were tough last year and we had lot of families we have never seen before — who had never used the program before,” he said.
The program runs all-year but the majority of the backpacks are given out before the first week of September.
Families that apply for Tools for School program need to provide proof of income.
Drop-off locations for donations in Red Deer are: Walmart stores, Parkland Mall food court, Staples locations, at Women’s Outreach and at United Way location.
Those looking to volunteer for Tools for Schools program can contact the Women’s Outreach Society at 403-347-2480.
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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