Orillia OPP and Uplifting Blessings have done their part to equip local kids with essentials when they head back to school next week.
Orillia OPP hosted a ‘cram a cruiser’ fundraiser over the past few weeks at local retail and grocery stores, where customers were asked to donate to Uplifting Blessings’ fifth annual back-to-school drive.
“We want to make sure that children have the basics that they need for back to school,” said Carolyn-Marie Goodwin, founder of Uplifting Blessings. “We collected lunch boxes, backpacks, water bottles, and school supplies.”
Uplifting Blessings, a grassroots group of local volunteers, says the OPP’s support made a difference.
“They saw what we were doing with the fundraiser and asked if they could get involved,” Goodwin said. “Their commitment to the community is incredible. Their outreach to assist children in the community who are going back to school is very heartwarming.”
Last year, the drive collected about 400 backpacks for children in need. This year, the number was about 600.
“That’s a big jump,” Goodwin said. “The cost of living has gone up quite a bit and all families are struggling to make ends meet.”
She says families are having a hard time keeping roofs over their heads with inflation.
“Feeding and clothing children while making sure they have the essentials for doing something as basic as going back to school is difficult right now,” she said.
Having a new backpack, school supplies, and healthy snacks can make a difference in a child’s education.
“It boosts a child’s confidence astronomically when they have what they need to go back to school,” Goodwin said. “It helps with socialization and easing the anxiety of the first day of school, going into a new classroom and a new grade.”
