High marks for all
Public praised for supporting school supply programs in Glace Bay, New Waterford
Organizers of programs assisting families in need with school supplies in New Waterford and in Glace Bay say the public came through for them again this year.
Breah MacAulay, a summer student at Town House in Glace Bay, said they have had 147 requests for assistance from families so far through their school supplies program and to date have packed and provided about 258 backpacks full of school supplies.
“We’ve been passing out the backpacks for the past week and a half as requests come in.”
MacAulay said this is her first year taking part in the program but she has heard this is one of their biggest years for requests yet.
Town House is grateful to the public and businesses for the generosity with donations of school supplies, she said.
“There have been many businesses who gave donations but Seaside Communications is a major donor to the program.”
MacAulay said Seaside donated 70 backpacks as well as school supplies.
“It makes a huge difference.” At Town House she said backpacks and school supplies are kept year round so anyone needing assistance can call at any time.
As well anyone wishing to donate backpacks, school supplies or money to provide these items can contact Town House at 902-849-2449 or stop by Town House at 150 Commercial St., Glace Bay from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday to Friday.
In the meantime Angus Gillis, past president of the New Waterford Kinsmen Club, said their Ida Schwartz Back to School Supplies program also went well and recently wrapped up with the distribution of school supplies to 110 families requesting assistance, at the Community Initiative office, 477 Heelan St.
“It’s a little low compared to other years.”
Gillis said there’s no reason for the decline as registration for Grade Primary even went up this year.
“I think last year we had one request for a Grade Primary child and this year there were14.”
In a recent story in the Cape Breton Post Gillis said they were extremely short on school supply donations and appealed for help. People did respond, he said.
However Gillis said two of their regular donors didn’t come in this year.
“It was two of our biggest donations that we would get every single year.”
However Gillis said what saved everything was the New Waterford Rotary Club coming forward with a $1,000 donation.
“We were able to supply pretty well everything on the lists this year,” he said.
As well Seaside Communications also brought in a large donations of backpacks.
“It makes a difference big time. They always give us a good donation.”
Anyone still wishing to make a donation can contact Gillis at 902-561-6960.
The school supplies assistance program was started in 1998 by the New Waterford Family Resource Centre and taken over by the New Waterford Kinsmen Club a couple of years ago. It was renamed the Ida Schwartz Back to School Supplies program in August 2001, when Martin Schwartz provided a substantial donation in memory of his wife which is left banked to gain interest in hopes of the program becoming self sufficient some day.