Back-to-school costs are breaking N.L. budgets this year, charities say

With the first bell ringing in schools across Newfoundland and Labrador on Sept. 6, back-to-school shopping is on the agenda for many families — and two local charity groups say more and more are turning to them to fill their children's backpacks.

One of them is Neighbours in Need Newfoundland, which helps those struggling to afford food and other everyday essentials.

Its founder, Cortney Barber, says she's run a dedicated back-to-school program since the group's beginnings in 2020. This year, more than 260 people have registered, with at least another 200 on the wait-list.

"It's such a high expense for kids to go back to school, especially [for] parents with multiple children," said Barber, a mother of four herself.

"You're already fighting to make ends meet. So those extra costs are huge."

It's an expensive time for many. According to Retail Council of Canada's back-to-school survey, the number of people wanting to spend less has increased slightly this year.

More than 70 per cent of Canadians plan to spend more than $50 on the start of school, however, buying supplies ranging from simple notebooks to pricier calculators and backpacks.

Neighbours in Need is focusing on sneakers.

People availing of the program come from different social backgrounds, said Barber, and for many on the list, it's a first.

"We have eight people … registered for back-to-school help who have sponsored children in the past. So, I mean, people are just seeing really hard times," she said. "The need has risen so much this year. It's insane."

Simultaneously, said Barber, donations have dropped — something she links to tough economic times.

"We really anticipated going into this year that we would exceed last year's numbers with ease, because we had lots of things left over last year and we had just ample support," she said. "But we're definitely seeing the pinch this year.… With inflation, everyone is feeling the pinch."

At St. John's food bank Bridges to Hope, executive director Jody Williams has also noticed the trend.

"The donations this year, unfortunately, have been down pretty significantly due to the economic climate. The same as our food donations are down," said Williams. 

"I say conceivably, there could be a few people that might have even donated that might even be using the service this year. It's really disheartening."

While its Bag to School program has been running for over a decade, Williams said the need has increased significantly in recent years.

This year, 350 spots were filled immediately, and more than 100 children were put on the wait-list before it had to be closed, as well.

"By 11:30 [a.m.] on the first day, we were sold out. And it was truly heartbreaking because our phone just never stopped. Because we took it down off our website, people thought there was a technical issue, but we were just full," said Williams.

"It's our fastest year yet, by far. I almost thought there was something wrong. I couldn't believe it."

Even though Bridges to Hope filled as many as 700 bags with school supplies in some previous years, he said, a drop in numbers doesn't equal less need.

"So many other organizations now are doing this, which is a reflection, of course, of the demand," said Williams. "Before, it was us and a couple of other people, but now I think there's at least 10 groups."

As the food bank hopes to also provide bags to as many wait-listed children as possible, he said donations in the coming weeks will be crucial.

"Having the same stuff as your classmates is empowering.… From there, kids become more resilient, more confident," said Williams.

"I've seen kids come here to get their bag, to pick it up, and just to see their faces light up. So that makes it all worth [the] while."

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