Area Kids Get A Packsac Full Of Smiles

The first day of school is filled with nervous anticipation of what this year has in store for students, and if a student does not have the latest style of clothing or funky gadgets to start the year off it can be devastating, and can impede a students success.

Community members formed The Packsac Smiles organisation just over three years ago with a common goal of wanting to help the children in the community in grades K-8 overcome barriers that they face and foster self-esteem in order to get the year off on the right foot.

“That’s one of the objectives of the organisation is to help foster self-esteem so that the children can be the same as their peers,” explains Darlene Tripp founding member.

Volunteer members fundraise throughout the year in order to purchase essential back-to-school items such as clothing, shoes, books and healthy snacks, then put the products in new backpacks and deliver them to children from low-income families.

“We had heard about it (Packsac Smiles) from another organisation in Kitchener/Waterloo,” says Tripp.

“We took a year to find out how they worked it and came up with our first board of four people and we sponsored 13 children last year, our first year.”

Tripp says the response has been overwhelming and the need for packs nearly tripled in a year.

Schoolteachers play an important role in the selection process as they know what children will benefit from the program the most based on the criteria in a package delivered during the school year.

“The schools identify the children based on what they see within the school year,” says Trip.

“Also all siblings in a family are always sponsored, so if one child is identified that whole family is sponsored so that a child is not left out.”

“One of the things that we have the children do is fill out a child information form with their favourite colour favourite character, so that the backpacks can be customised to something that they would really appreciate getting and be excited about,” says Tripp.

The group received a 58-hundrend dollar boost to their effort as MPP Monique Smith presented the group with a Trillium grant Tuesday night to help with marketing and administrative expenses the group faces.

Smith told the volunteers assembled that she found out about the organisation in a check out line at the grocery store and instantly wanted to help.

“It’s a great initiative put together by a wonderful group of volunteers and it’s going to help a lot of students in our community and I’m delighted through the Ontario Trillium Foundation we were able to assist them with some funding,” states Smith.

Smith says the organisation has gone out of its way to ensure confidentiality as well as ensure the children don’t stand out.

“Everyone remembers going back to school and getting excited about a new outfit or your new books, your new backpack and some kids you know they just can’t afford it, and this is going to allow those kids to go back to school with a smile on their face, because they’ll have the new equipment like everyone else.”

The organisation was able to assist 46 children in the area with back to school kits this year.