Staples Canada and the Salvation Army are teaming up on a School Supply Drive in to provide much-needed school supplies to disadvantaged children.
As the Prince George Citizen reports, for “less fortunate students”, the start of a new school year “can be a stressful time as they arrive at school ill equipped for their educational opportunity.”
To help these students with their education, Staples Canada and the Salvation Army have formed a collaboration, running a School Supply Drive until 12 September 2018 and asking patrons “to donate to the cause”, with all money that is raised being channelled into the local community.
Staples has held this School Supply Drive on an annual basis for the last 13 years, raising over $14 million (€9.2 million). This year, the target is $1.7 million (€1.1 million).
At the Parkwood Place branch of Staples, staff have been playing their role in the fundraising by hosting bake sales and asking customers for donations.
“If the staff didn’t do what they do, we wouldn’t get near as much,” commented Neil Hodgson, the store’s General Manager. “It’s really great to see. At the present time about $5000 (€3291) has been raised. The goal is to raise $10 000 (€6583), so we’re halfway there.”
“It’s a great campaign and customers are really receptive to it,” he added.
As well as providing donations of school supplies to the Salvation Army, Staples Canada also “donates to inner-city schools that have a higher population of children in need.”
As part of the School Supply Drive, Telus provides 400 backpacks equipped with basic supplies, which the Salvation Army then further fills with supplies provided by Staples. The backpacks are filled “according to the class lists that are specific to each grade’s needs.”
