All year long, YSM donor Margaret watched for sales on school supplies and backpacks in order to be able to buy them in bulk, so that — as a new school year approached — she would be able to help as many families in need as possible.
“If I did this at the last minute, I couldn’t help as many families,” she explains.
This summer, as her health and time allowed, Margaret filled her car up six times for trips to YSM to drop off all she’d collected — an incredible testimony to her generous efforts.
“I have a passion, especially for newcomers to Canada,” Margaret says. “All kids need to go to school feeling they are loved in Canada.”
This year, YSM set a goal to help provide the families we serve with 570 new backpacks filled with age-appropriate supplies. But, thanks to an outpouring of community support, we expect to be able to provide close to 1,000 filled backpacks before our Backpack Day in August!
In addition to caring individuals like Margaret, corporate partners like BMO, Yotpo, Spin Master, Rabobank, Faire, CBRE and others have generously donated funds toward purchasing backpacks and supplies, while also hosting team events during which employees volunteer time to pack backpacks at their workplaces or at YSM.
“We are always looking for meaningful ways to make a positive impact on children’s lives,” says Joedel from Spin Master. “We hope to bring smiles to children’s faces and help make the back-to-school season a little brighter for families in our community.”
We also welcomed enthusiastic support from the St. Paul’s Bloor Street youth group, who helped pack backpacks at YSM just ahead of Backpack Day.
“It means a lot to our youth to be able to support other kids their age, and make sure they have what they need for the school year ahead,” Youth Minister Dylan says. “Serving with YSM is a practical way for them to put their faith into action and care for their neighbours right here in our community.”
Thank you to everyone who gave what you could to make this year’s Backpack Day a resounding success!