Education is key to helping a child break free from poverty. Yet essentials such as school supplies and backpacks can be hard for countless Canadian children whose families struggle to pay rent and buy food. 

Across the country, parents are gearing up for the back-to-school season. For many, this is also a time of stress and anxiety as families living in poverty struggle to balance the purchasing of necessary school supplies with prioritizing their limited funds to cover housing, food, and basic expenses.

To help ensure that these children are equipped with the tools they need to learn, Speroway supports its partners in providing school supplies to young people in greatest need.

This year, over 1,100 brand-new backpacks filled with basic school supplies such as pencils, erasers, binders, notebooks, calculators, glue, crayons, rulers, and more will be distributed to vulnerable children and youth in Guelph, Ontario.

Providing children with their own school supplies builds self esteem and frees up family resources for essentials such as food, medicines, and utilities.

Sometimes a simple solution can make a big difference. Hugs, tears, and ear-to-ear smiles can be seen by children and their parents through this back-pack initiative as young people get ready to go back to school with confidence and excitement.

The gift of education can last a lifetime, providing not only basic learning tools but also confidence to be able to maximize their learning experience and other opportunities throughout their lives.