Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Napanee’s Salvation Army and the Napanee Area Community Health Centre are teaming up this back-to-school season to help ensure all students get the supplies they need to succeed with their annual backpack campaign.
Both agencies are calling on the community to donate new backpacks as well as basic supplies such as rulers, erasers, pencils, pens, markers and calculators. They’ll then make sure the supplies get to those who need them most.
“There was quite a jump in registration this year,” Abby Mills, director of community ministries with the Napanee Salvation Army said of their backpack campaign. “We are a little bit short (in supplies). Any donation would be greatly received. We are trying to give as many kids as possible a backpack, pencil case and basic school supplies because for many of our families that live at or near the poverty line, when the teacher sends the kids home with homework, they may not have available to them basic school supplies to make that possible.”
Mills said there is also a psychological aspect for the kids, who may not feel as though they belong at the school if they don’t have the same supplies as everyone else.
“We often have the tendency to believe our reality is everyone’s reality,” said Mills. “What we see through the Salvation Army with the services we offer, we see a wide range of normal. What is easily affordable for one family may be completely out of reach for another family.”
Anyone looking to drop off new school supplies can do so at the Salvation Army Family Services offices Monday, Wednesday or Friday located at 82 Richard Street, or the Salvation Army Thrift Store Monday to Thursday, located at 12 Mill Street. They can also be dropped off at the NACHC at 26 Dundas Street W Monday to Friday.