The United Way Bruce Grey has their backpack program in full swing.
Executive Director Francesca Dobbyn told Bayshore News that volunteers and community partners are doing their part to collect donated supplies and funds for this year.
“We have more than 2,000 requests already for backpacks from our partner agencies, from the community through 211, and we’ve got lots of people that are out there fundraising, collecting supplies, Stuff The Bus events,” said Dobbyn. “All of the crazy chaos that is August and the Backpack program.”
She shared that without community partners, the campaign wouldn’t see the success it does.
“Our community partners are the backbone of this project. It’s an $80,000 program to buy all of the supplies,” she explained. “Everybody having different places throughout Bruce and Grey County collecting the supplies for us is a huge, huge help.”
With the size of such an undertaking, the United Way has a had a designated summer student for each of the past 17 years to specifically help with the Backpack Program.
Backpacks are available for school-aged children from Kindergarten to Grade 12, with different offerings for four different age groups – primary, intermediate, senior, and high school.
Families looking for help with back-to-school shopping are advised to sign up as soon as possible in order to make sure there are supplies available.
Last year, the campaign handed out 2,301 backpacks total across the four designated age groups, and there may be a chance that number could be surpassed in 2026.
Backpacks for primary school children cost $50, while backpacks for teens in the senior years of high school cost round $150.
The United Way and local schools try to have backpacks available throughout the year, which can help kids who are newcomers feel prepared too.
“Backpacks go out the door year round here,” she said. “Often if we have a family coming in under a refugee sponsorship, backpacks will go to the airport so the children that are coming into this country have something that’s theirs immediately, and they get to colour in the car on the way home.”
Anyone looking to donate can reach out to the United Way or any of the community partners collecting for the Backpack Program. There is also an option to donate money through the United Way of Bruce Grey website.