A charitable organization will raise money to help ensure vulnerable students in Nanaimo-Ladysmith are ready for back-to-school.
Nanaimo-Ladysmith Schools Foundation’s Stock the Lockers campaign will take place from Aug. 1-31, fundraising for school supplies, scholarships, food and other needs that may arise.
Crystal Dennison, foundation executive director, said the foundation has seen increased requests for support at schools over recent years.
“How much of that’s to do with the pandemic, it’s really hard to know. Regardless, we have definitely seen an increase and it continues to be a discussion at all levels, more students showing up to school needing support,” she said. “We want to do our best to ensure we can take care of these higher numbers moving into the new school year.”
High inflation has extended to back-to-school essentials, according to Dennison.
“School supplies continue to increase in cost, along with everything else including shoes, clothing and food,” she said. “We anticipate more families will be needing support to purchase just the basics: notebooks, crayons, exercise books, binders, backpacks, those sorts of things. It’s an expense for a lot of families that just becomes a real barrier.”
The foundation will have an information table set up at the Commercial Street Night Market on Thursday, Aug. 4, said Dennison.
“We’re hoping to raise $50,000 through our Stock the Lockers campaign and we will be continuing to raise funds throughout the year as well … we came close (last year), but we didn’t make our $50,000 goal, so this year we’re hopeful,” she said.
Donations can be made at all Nanaimo and Gabriola Island Coastal Community Credit Union branches, all Nanaimo Staples and Country Grocer stores and the foundation website.
For more information, visit www.nlsf.ca.
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