It's soon time to go back to school.
Families in need in the Chinook's Edge School Division (CESD) are receiving some help this September thanks to a generous donation by EQUS in Innisfail and their new Backpacks for Schools program.
“Around Christmastime every year we have the adopt a family program and we also donate to the food bank but this year we thought that we would expand our reach to the school divisions and help the kids that need help,” said Marie Grono, executive assistant with EQUS. “We called upon our staff to donate a backpack or get together with fellow staff members and create some backpacks and donate them.”
A total of 38 backpacks were collected through the EQUS community connection committee and will be donated to needy families at schools within Chinook's Edge School Division.
The gender-neutral backpacks will all include an assortment of basic school supplies suitable for all grades. They will have erasers, glue sticks, pencil crayons, (wax crayons for elementary students), pencils, pencil case, red and blue ballpoint pens, different colours of highlighter felt pens, duo tangs, and a hand held pencil sharpener.
Grono said the committee had agreed to rotate the program each year to a different location within EQUS's service area.
“I think it is a great response because it was our first year doing this,” said Grono. “We'll rotate (the program) among school divisions in our service area, that runs from the Montana border all the way up to Barrhead.”
Kurt Sacher, superintendent of schools, said the division is appreciative of EQUS and their efforts to help families with their back to school needs.
“We're so grateful to the people that work with EQUS and that they were so thoughtful to think of our young children in need,” said Sacher, noting classes in his division resume Sept. 1. “There will be 38 students in the school division that will really appreciate those backpacks.”
It will help those children in need start the new school year on a positive note, he said.
“Particularly with the changing economy right now it makes it more difficult for some families,” Sacher added. “Our administrators are very caring people that will help us find the most needy students for these backpacks to go to.”
Kurt Sacher, Chinook's Edge superintendent of schools
"There will be 38 students in the school division that will really appreciate those backpacks."
