Sallies help get tablets for students

Parents struggling to find the money for electronic devices so their children aren’t disadvantaged at the start of the school year can apply to the Salvation Army for financial help.

The Salvation Army, which teams up with Warehouse Stationery every year to help with back-to-school supplies, is now running a programme to give no-interest loans to people buying devices for their kids.

Eligible families will be given vouchers towards the cost, and the loan will cover the rest.

“We keep the loan as minimal as possible,” said the Salvation Army’s territorial social services secretary, Major Pam Waugh.

“The families are assessed, so it’s not just random ‘here, take a loan’. They’re assessed by ‘can they afford it’ and ‘are we doing the best thing by offering them a loan’.

“We’re not in the business of putting people in debt.”

Some parents resorted to using high-end lenders to get the money for a tablet for their kids, which more often than not would keep them “crippled in debt”. It was important to try to keep that from happening.

“The most important thing is that these children get back to school ready to start the year and they’re not disadvantaged,” Waugh said.

It’s the first year they’re offering help in getting devices. About 200 families asked about it last year.

Waugh hoped they’d be able to assist about 500 families this year.

The vouchers they provide are made possible by in-store fundraising at Warehouse Stationery.

It and the Sallies help about 17,000 families each year get back-to-school stationery for kids.