Local initiative provides essential supplies for students

August 7, 2025 · 0 Comments

Written By PAULA BROWN

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

The start of a new school year is rapidly approaching, which means it’s time for families to start getting ready with back-to-school shopping.

But for some students, the preparation for another school year can be a struggle to ensure they have the basic supplies needed to succeed in the classroom.

To help with this, the Shelburne Rotary Backpack Program is asking for the community’s help in raising funds to provide students from junior kindergarten to Grade 12 with back-to-school supplies.

“We all know the importance of sending kids back to school with the essentials they need,” said Bobbi Ferguson, chair of the local backpack project. “If you can give a little, it would be appreciated to help us reach our goal of helping any kid that needs it.”

The Backpack Program is an annual initiative run by the service clubs of Shelburne, which looks to provide school supplies such as backpacks, lunch bags, and water bottles to families in need. The program was launched in 2020, and in its first year, it provided 85 kids in Shelburne and the surrounding areas with essential back-to-school supplies.

Since its inception, the Backpack Program has seen a steady increase in the number of students reaching out for its services.

On July 31, Rotarians and Friends of Rotary assembled over 170 backpacks with water bottles and lunch kits, which were delivered to the Shelburne Food Bank for distribution.

Speaking with the Free Press, Ferguson said they may have upwards of 190 to 200 students in need of backpacks and other back-to-school supplies this year.

The cost of putting together the backpacks for the local students is not a cheap endeavour and varies for each age group. To put together a backpack, a water bottle, and a lunch bag for one student costs the program roughly $75.

According to Ferguson, the total cost of funding the backpack program each year is around $12,000.

In June, the Shelburne Rotary Backpack Program received a donation of $5,000 through the Tim Horton’s Smile Cookie Campaign.

“It [the donation] means everything. If we didn’t get this support, we certainly wouldn’t be able to do what we do. It’s almost half of what we need so it’s a significant part,” said Ferguson.

The Shelburne Rotary Backpack Program also collected $2,256 in supplemented funds through donations from Friends of the Rotary to bring the total donation to $7,256.

The organizers spend a significant amount of time putting together the backpacks to ensure that each one is tailored to be age-appropriate for specific students. The demographic need for supplies is determined based on the registration through the Shelburne Food Bank.

After the backpacks are packed, they are handed out to the families when they make their regular visits to Shepherd’s Cupboard.

“I don’t speak directly with the families, but I do hear from the people volunteering at the foodbank about how happy the students are to get their backpack,” said Ferguson.

Anyone who is interested in making a donation to the Backpack Project can find more information and ways to donate by visiting www.shelburnerotaryclub.ca.