By Jack Carver
Quinte region are children getting the school supplies they need for a fraction of the cost through the Good Backpack program.
Students in the Hastings and Prince Edward Counties entering Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 are eligible to buy a backpack full of school supplies for only $10 each. The value of the backpacks are $50 to $60.
Registration is down from last year for the program but Jessie Ward, the good backpack coordinator at United Way of Quinte, said she is confident more people will sign up.
“Right now we’re at about 900, and registration doesn’t end until the 31st,” said Ward. “Hopefully everyone knows about it, we’ve done are best to get the word out there and hopefully everyone who needs it, knows about it.”
Ward said she isn’t sure what the exact reason could be for the declining numbers, but said that it’s most likely people just reusing supplies.
“Maybe families don’t need the program,” said Ward. “So if it’s just that families have been able to keep their supplies or don’t need the program this year, that may be the case. Last year we had about 1100, so this year is a bit lower than we expected.”
There are a number of businesses in town supporting the program, such as Staples. The store’s general manager, MaryLou Truen, says that the program “fits in naturally”.
“We stand for the back to school business,” said Truen. “It’s a big part of our business and it always has been, so when one of our core values is belonging to and giving back to the community and knowing your neighbourhood, it just fits in naturally for that.”
Quinte Broadcasting is also supporting the Good Backpack program. The station’s promotions and marketing director, Lorne Brooker, said that this program helps put kids on an even ground.
“The people that utilize this program are the most vulnerable people in our community,” said Brooker. “When you put children on an equal playing field on that first day of school and they have kind of the same school supplies as all the other kids, that gives them a much better chance to succeed.”
Brooker said that as far as grassroots programs go, this is a good one.
“It’s a great program, it’s grassroots,” said Brooker. “People come and they help with pencils and pens and binders and everything kids need to get an education. Education is key, there’s nothing else about it. So when you talk about grassroots endeavours, this is a great one.”
Walk in registration ends on July 31st, 2012. Registration in Belleville is at the Community Development Council of Quinte.