Did you know that locally 20% of children under the age of six live in poverty?
Our economically vulnerable must make impossible choices every day…choosing between paying rent, paying bills or buying groceries. September brings an additional financial stress for these families, back to school shopping for all of the basic tools that will contribute to their child’s success.
1 in every 6 households in the City and County of Peterborough have an annual income that falls under 20k. For these families and many others, finding the extra resources to provide these supplies is almost impossible. Our vision is that everyone in every community has the opportunity to reach their full potential and our Backpacks for Success initiative serves to ensure that all students have the educational tools they need.
As we begin to focus on recovery and rebuilding after the global pandemic, it has become increasingly difficult to ignore the fact that the events of the past two years have disproportionally affected our economically vulnerable populations.
This has been further illustrated by the increase in demand for our Backpacks for Success initiative which provides the basic tools for educational success to those who simply cannot afford them. Requests from the school communities of KPR and PVNCC District School Boards have increased by 90% over last year.
You can help to build an equitable recovery and foster a sense of inclusivity for these students through your support of Backpacks for Success.
To help achieve the level of community investment required, we have added two new sponsorship options for those who would like to have a broader impact this fall. With a gift of $500 you can choose donate all of the artistic tools typically provided in a backpack, crayons, markers, paper and pencil crayons for 75 local students OR the instrumental Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) tools for 30 local students.
Donate directly to our Backpacks for Success Program here
Since the Backpacks for Success program launched locally in 2003, United Way Peterborough & District has provided more than 11,000 backpacks containing grade-appropriate school supplies to local youth in Kindergarten through Grade 12 who are financially vulnerable.
Each year, this program sees community donors and volunteers come together to make a tangible difference by ensuring that local students are provided with the tools they need to be successful.
Brant Basics partners with United Way to deliver “Backpacks for Success” program
In 2021, Brant Basics, a longtime supporter of United Way Peterborough & District through their annual workplace campaign reached out to offer to partner in a more significant way through the creation of new initiative to keep support ongoing. Says Sue Sharp, co-owner of Brant Basics
“We truly appreciate the difference United Way makes in our community! Funds that are raised are distributed to a number of reputable charitable organizations fulfilling a wide range of community needs.”
As part of this partnership, Brant Basics created a new initiative to support the Backpacks for Success program that sees donations being accepted in-store at Brant Basics, located at 296 George St N, Peterborough. Customers of Brant Basics who order for delivery are able to donate by adding donation code 80003-00 to their online order.
