By Rebbeca Marroquin

School supplies donated to parents in need

Sep 15, 2017 | 1:58 PM

Parents in need were given a helping hand with the expenses at the start of the school year after community members donated hundreds of backpacks with supplies.

Community members from Tisdale, Nipawin, Melfort and Hudson Bay filled a total of 283 bags.

The act of kindness called “Operation Fill-a-Backpack” was organized for the third year by Partners to End Poverty and the Salvation Army.

Tim Onsrud, the co-ordinator for Partners to End Poverty said the rising cost of living is making it difficult for parents to afford the supplies ordered by schools.

He said volunteers filled 82 more backpacks than last year.  

Missing pet

'She means the world to our family': Woman seeks help in finding missing pet parrot

13h ago

BE CAREFUL ON THE ROADS

Semi flips outside P.A.; one of dozens of incidents on Sask. roads due to winter weather

13h ago

NO GO FOR BUSES

School bus routes outside P.A. canceled due to spring snowstorm

18h ago

“I think it definitely demonstrates that there’s a lot of need out there,” he said.

Onsrud said volunteers are working with the North East School Division in an attempt to scale back the amount of supplies parents are expected to buy.

According to the latest survey by savings destination RetailMeNot, the average Canadian spends $883 on back-to-school items.

Out of the 1,519 who were randomly selected for the survey, over 50 per cent of parents agree that back-to-school shopping puts a financial strain on their families, racking up bills that take months to pay.

rebbeca.marroquin@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @becamarroquin