Salvation Army’s Back-to-School Program Brings Relief to Families
For Zain, a mother of two, getting her children ready for the school year used to be a stressful and costly experience. For the past three years, The Salvation Army in Fort Erie, Ont., has helped her ease the financial burden through its back-to-school campaign, a program that provides essential supplies to elementary students in need.
“When I first came to Canada, my oldest was starting Grade 1. As a newcomer with a limited budget, my struggle was trying to ensure my children felt equal to the rest of their classmates,” Zain recalls.
After hearing about the initiative from others in the community, Zain reached out. Since then, the end of summer has become far less overwhelming.
“My struggle was trying to ensure my children felt equal to the rest of their classmates.”
The first year, her oldest son received a backpack of his favourite superhero, Spider-Man. For Zain, this was a great moment.
“He was so excited!” she shares. “And as a mother, it was a huge relief.”
Each year, the program provides participants with a backpack filled with school supplies, a lunch box, a water bottle, and even running shoes. These sneakers are available thanks to a partnership with Canadian Tire and Sport Chek.
While these items are extremely useful, there is one aspect Zain’s children love the most: the ability to choose.
“When we go to get our stuff, the kids are free to pick their things. It’s a great experience for them and it makes them feel excited about school. They choose what they like and not what mom wants,” Zain adds.
Being able to select the items they like makes the children feel more confident when they go to school.
As a mother, the back-to-school campaign helps Zain allocate her funds to better support her family, especially during a time of high living costs.
“I can focus on groceries and filling their lunch boxes.”
“Thanks to this program, I don’t have to worry about buying school supplies. Instead, I can focus on groceries and filling their lunch boxes. It helps a lot,” Zain says.
She also praises the condition of the items provided.
“The backpacks and shoes are great quality. That means so much now that everything is so expensive.”
Zain is grateful for the assistance her family received over the years.
“I would like to thank The Salvation Army and I hope they continue this support because it is great for the community.”
By Juan Romero
