When You Don’t Have a Backpack

“You don’t have a backpack?” “Why is your notebook worn out?” “Your mom can’t afford pencils?” Back-to-school can be challenging for low-income families, so many Salvation Army centres across Canada are helping to take the pressure off.

“Whether you have money or not, everyone has to deal with back-to-school expenses,” says Captain Jennifer Robins of The Salvation Army in Melfort, Sask.

This marks the fourth year for Operation Fill-a-Backpack, which is a joint initiative by The Salvation Army in Melfort and Partners to End Poverty. Last year, close to 300 backpacks were distributed in Melfort and surrounding areas.

“In general, our economy is in a slump and more families are coming to us for help,” says Robins. “Some people have to decide if they will buy school supplies or food. That seems extreme, but this is our reality.”

“A new backpack and supplies says you are special, you are important, we want you to succeed, we want you to feel normal”

Backpacks include binders, scissors, erasers, dividers, lunch boxes, crayons, a basic calculator, glue sticks, highlighters and rulers. Robins says recipients have included a mom who had recent surgery and couldn’t work, a single dad with five children, grandparents who are caregivers and living on a fixed income.

“A new backpack and supplies says you are special, you are important, we want you to succeed, we want you to feel normal,” says Robins. “Backpacks provide stability, security and identity.

“People in our communities want to be supportive and donating a backpack or making a financial gift is a great opportunity to help people directly,” says Robins. “We don’t want a child to feel they can’t succeed because they don’t have the supplies they need. Why not help them put the best foot forward that they can?”