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Supplies 4 Success prepares for increased need this school year

The back-to-school season is quickly approaching and with that, North Rocky View Community Links’ Supplies 4 Success program is back once again this year.
Supplies-4-Success
Last year, staff and members of Orangetheory Fitness in Airdrie donated 28 backpacks and supplies to the Community Links program.

With the back-to-school shopping season quickly approaching, North Rocky View Community Links’ Supplies 4 Success program is back once again this year to support local families in need.

Community Links’ community engagement manager Laurie Jacob-Toews said staff and organizers are preparing for an increased need for support this fall, due to the strain the pandemic has had on local families' finances.

“Just based on the needs we’re seeing in the community – with people coming into our offices over the past year – we’re definitely seeing that there may be another increase in need for this upcoming school year,” said Jacob-Toews, who added that last year’s collection of 389 backpacks was the largest in the annual drive’s 19 years of operation.

Jacob-Toews also said the preparation for increased accessibility to the program is due to the fact there will be far fewer online learning components to school this year – which she said, may have slowed the amount of people in need from accessing the program last year. 

Offered every year, Supplies 4 Success aims to ensure students from low-income families in Airdrie and north Rocky View County have everything they need to excel throughout the school year.

“Back-to-school time is tough as it is…because there’s school fees and there’s bus fees and there’s clothing for the kids that are growing,” Jacob-Toews said. “We always see this as a tough time for people, financially.”

Starting Aug. 9, shoppers at the local Staples in Airdrie will be asked at the till if they’d like to donate to Community Links’ campaign. Monetary donations raised through the initiative will pay for the pens, pencils, paper and other supplies needed to fil up the new bags.

The goal for this year’s drive is $13,000, Jacob-Toews said. According to a press release from Community Links, this would allow approximately 450 local children to receive a brand new backpack full of school supplies.

Jacob-Toews added the charity is extremely grateful to have the support of three local automobile dealerships in town – Airdrie Dodge, Cam Clark Ford and Davis Chevrolet, who will each be donating $10 from every car sold during the month of August to the program.

The Airdrie Lioness Club has also made a donation of $1,500 toward the program, according to Jacob-Toews. Furthermore, Kiwanis Airdrie is contributing $3,000 for the purpose of purchasing vouchers to help parents in buying back-to-school shoes for their children.

“We’re just always thankful to the generosity of the community,” she said.

"I think it’s just a reminder [that] it doesn’t have to be a big donation. It can be $2 or $5 at the till. That goes a long way to helping support the program and helping us achieve our goal.”

Donations of new backpacks for students in Kindergarten to Grade 12 are being accepted until Aug. 20. They can be dropped off at the following locations:

  • Airdrie Dodge (139 East Lake Crescent NE)
  • At Dawn Wellness (520 1 Ave NE)
  • Cam Clark Ford (1001 Highland Park Blvd NE)
  • Community Links (211 –125 Main St. NW)
  • Davis Chevrolet (149 East Lake Crescent NE)
  • Orangetheory Fitness (308-2700 Main St S)

For more information on how to become involved in Supplies 4 Success, contact Community Links at 403-945-3900

Lauryn Heintz, AirdrieToday.com

Follow me on Twitter @LaurynHeintz

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