Demand for back-to-school supplies straining those trying to help

Local organizations are struggling to keep up with the demand for back-to-school supplies with some saying they have even maxed out their waiting lists.

Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank in Halifax has run a back-to-school program for 18 years. It says it has seen the greatest demand this year.

The program provides low-income students in the Halifax Regional Municipality with backpacks full of school supplies — paper, pencils, scissors and more. 

This year's program opened at the end of May. Romaine Rhoden, the director of donor relations and communications at Parker Street, says registration closed after two months due to high demand.

Need doesn't end

Parker Street aimed to fill 800 requests, but were able to increase the number to 1,000 with the help of donations. But they still have 300 people on a waiting list.

"It really is going to depend on the donation that we continue to receive in the next couple of days," says Rhoden. "I won't say for sure that we'll get through all of the waitlist, but we'll try our very best to make sure that at least most of the families are taken care of."

The Salvation Army in Lower Sackville is working through its waitlist. Last Wednesday in Dartmouth, the organization distributed 600 of its 836 backpacks full of supplies.

"We could literally keep the waitlist open and it would just keep growing and growing," says Shelley Keizer, the community ministries director for the Encounter Church in Lower Sackville.

With more bags donated by the Islamic Foundation, Feed Nova Scotia and others, the Salvation Army will be able to meet most of the demand.

Keizer said there are only so many organizations and drives that can help. Sometimes families have to be turned away.

"Some people are understanding and they just seem discouraged. Others will actually verbally say, 'Well, what am I going to do?'" she said. "I'm a parent and if I felt like I can't provide my child with what they need for school this year, I mean, how heartbreaking is that?" 

Kadesha Brown's daughter is starting Grade 3 at St. Catherine's Elementary School in Halifax. Brown said she's had to cut costs.

"Usually I'll buy my daughter a bunch of stuff, but now I just have to buy the necessities and just keep it going every time I get paid," she said.

Other help

Peter Day, the president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, said teachers are spending more money out of pocket this year on school supplies for students in need.

"It's more this year than it was last year because the prices of our school supplies have increased dramatically in the last year."

The Strait Regional Centre for Education is providing free school supplies to all students. The Nova Scotia government also increased income assistance payments on Aug. 29 to help families with the cost of supplies.