Halifax organization gets early start on back-to-school program

It still may be summer, but for some Maritime organizations, back-to-school preparation to help students in need is already underway.

It may still be summer, but for some local organizations, back-to-school preparations are already underway.

The early start is crucial for ensuring students have the supplies they need to succeed.

Every year, Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank in Halifax runs their back-to-school program, giving necessary supplies to underprivileged kids in HRM.

This year, they’ve been accepting donations since May.

“We aim to give out a thousand backpacks to the underprivileged. The people who need these supplies to go back to school, to go to university for whatever the reason may be. And so that they have the confidence to succeed in their new learning capacity in the fall,” says Shelley Rose, the client services and operations director for Parker Street Food & Furniture Bank.

It may seem like an early start, but service providers like Parker Street play a key role in ensuring those in need are prepared with new supplies, especially as demand for it continues to grow.

“We always think of food as being a necessity, we think of shelter, but we here at Parker Street feel that (having supplies) is the moral right of everyone who’s taking education or going into education, that they should have the confidence to succeed, and you can’t do that without the right tools,” says Rose.

Rose says the process of applying for their back-to-school-program looks a lot different this time around.

“Unfortunately, I hate to say it, but we did find some abuse of the system throughout the last year, and so this year, we have had to put some measures in place to make sure that those who are actually needing the backpacks are the ones who are getting it,” she says.

“So families this year, when they apply, we are requiring them to send in a notice of assessment, for proof of income for all adults in the household. We do also ask for a lease with all individuals listed on the list, so we can prove who is actually living in the home and if they’re applying for somebody who lives in their home.

“And lastly, we are looking for identification for all individuals in the home, picture ID for adults, and health cards, usually for children, just so that we can make sure that the household sizes are what they actually are.”

While Ross says they are on pace to meet their supply goal, the service provider still relies heavily on donations.

They’re accepting brand new school supplies, as well as monetary contributions.

“We want to make sure that all the kids, whether or not they’re low or fixed income, that they’re getting to go back to school with that confidence, having their brand-new backpack to show off to their friends as well, so that they can feel included.”

The application deadline is set for Aug. 1, but Ross says with only about 500 applications approved, they are open to extending it.

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