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Supplies help ease financial strain

NANAIMO: More than 200 students will receive a backpack filled with school supplies in time to start the new year.

More than 200 students in the Nanaimo area will receive a backpack filled with school supplies in time to start the new year.

The backpacks are given as part of an annual campaign by Telus community ambassadors to help parents manage the financial strain that comes with sending students back to school. In total, 240 students will receive a backpack filled with essential school supplies needed for each grade: pencils, loose-leaf sheets, pencil cases, rulers and much more.

The kits are delivered to school districts in June to allow the schools to determine need and notify recipient children and parents before they break for the summer.

This initiative is part of the company’s Kits for Kids program, an annual tradition through which thousands of backpacks are distributed to young students in need across Canada.

The kits are prepared each May by the community ambassadors, made up of Telus team members and retirees across Canada, who volunteer in support of local activities to make positive connections within their communities.

Last year, all 21 clubs gave close to 65,000 school items worth a total of $900,000.