This year’s Back to School Backpack Event was a huge success! Our goal was to prepare 300 children with school-ready backpacks, with supplies and treats, however with the generous contributions of time and effort by our SEET volunteers, with their creative fundraising initiatives, we were pleased to be able to gift 342 backpacks!

Thanks to all team members who supported our event: led by SEET (Special Events and Engagement Team) and supported by wm+a and AlphaBee therapists who helped prepare, coordinate fundraising events such as Paint Night, Kernels Popcorn and Krispy Kreme Doughnut sales and more. Also, a huge thank you to the donations of beauty and wellness products gifted to mothers, caregivers and family members.

We were pleased to again collaborate with the Daily Bread Food Bank and Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter, and reach even more families. Our team shared in the excitement of the children/youth picking their favorite coloured backpack and selecting their new supplies and we greatly appreciated receiving messages from family members sharing with us what the event meant to them, their messages encouraging us to make next year’s event even more impactful.

Here were a few thank you’s from the families…

“To the entire team, A great big thanks to everyone involved in organizing this wonderful event. We appreciate all the items given and are especially surprised by the wonderful ‘Mom’ care gift bag, such great products, will make good use of these. Keep up the great work! Thanks again.”

“From my family, a big thank you! The gift for moms, so sweet and thoughtful, I haven’t had a lipstick or liner in ages, honestly! Thank you so much!”

“Such an event, it truly helped me out to supply my kids with supplies for back to school, the people were all so wonderful and friendly”

“I’ve never seen my child this excited about school supplies! Thank you for making his day”

“The event was so well-organized, and the volunteers were incredibly friendly and helpful.”