As students prepare for their upcoming school year, back-to-school shopping becomes a focus for parents across Canada. Markers, backpacks, pencils and binders are some of the most popular items. While it may not seem like a lot, the cost of these supplies can be challenging, especially for families with multiple children in school. For Desiree  […]

The Salvation Army’s Back-to-School Backpack Program can serve as a much-needed support for parents when it comes to ensuring their children have all the required school supplies, ahead of the upcoming academic year. Mary (not her real name) has signed her children up for this program for the past three years. She heard about it  […]

Ahead of the back-to-school season, numerous Salvation Army ministry units across Canada are running backpack programs to ensure all students have the supplies they need for school. Some Salvation Army locations that run back-to-school initiatives are anticipating a rise in the number of participants this year. The Salvation Army in Halifax delivered more than 800  […]

Starting a new school year can make students feel excited, anxious, relieved, and many other emotions. Although this year’s back-to-school experience will be entirely different, those experiencing poverty, including 560,000 Canadian children, face even more stressors this season.  Nationwide, many children from low or fixed-income households will be without proper school supplies because their parents  […]

Trista Reid wants to end homelessness―a big aspiration for a girl who is just shy of her 16th birthday. Instead of birthday gifts, Trista asked friends and family to donate backpacks and school supplies to help vulnerable children in London, Ont., begin the school year with the tools they need to succeed. “I’ve always had  […]