United Way Oxford launches annual school supply campaign

As families prepare for the new school year, United Way Oxford is once again launching its annual Supplies4Students campaign to help Oxford County students access the school supplies they need through gift cards funded by community donations. Vecteezy photo

By Lee Griffi

As the cost of back-to-school shopping continues to climb, United Way Oxford is once again launching its Supplies4Students campaign to help Oxford County families.

The Supplies4Students campaign converts monetary donations into gift cards for Giant Tiger, Staples and Dollarama, giving families the flexibility to buy the supplies their children actually need. Every dollar donated goes directly toward purchasing gift cards.

“For over a decade, our community partners have been promoting this program as a more intentional, more appropriate and more dignified model of support. It allows families to purchase what they actually need and provides children with the classic back-to-school shopping experience that is part of the fun and excitement experienced by so many,” said Kelly Gilson, the local United Way’s executive director.

Last year, the campaign supported 1,382 students from 674 families, but with the continued rise in need, United Way Oxford has set a goal of distributing gift cards to 1,400 students and reaching even more people. When the program first started in 2016, just 300 students received help.

“Back to school is an expensive time of year – from school supplies to indoor/outdoor sneakers and everything in between, the costs add up. With more and more families struggling to make ends meet, this is a meaningful way to lend a helping hand,” said Gilson.

The program is open to elementary and high school students, and Gilson explained it works differently than others, something done by design.

“Traditionally it's very much a backpack type of program where there are no choices. You receive a backpack filled with things people have generously donated, but they may not be the things you actually need. By allowing choice, you're actually providing a much more dignified opportunity for families.”

Families can register online through the program website, which also includes an eligibility chart. Assistance is available to Oxford County families with children attending publicly funded schools, including those in the Thames Valley District School Board, London District Catholic School Board and Conseil scolaire catholique Providence.

“We provide behind-the-scenes support and all of the administration, accounting and all of those things. But we do that all as our in-kind donation,” Gilson said. “So, 100 per cent of the donations received for this program go to buy gift cards. If we were ever in a position, and sometimes we have been, where there might be some extra dollars at the end of August, we set it aside for the next year's program.”

Gilson said the biggest concern each year is raising enough money to meet demand.

“There's often stress on whether there will be enough money, but it just goes to show that we are committed to ensuring that the dollars for this Oxford Supplies4Students program stay within that program.”

Supplies4Students is a partnership between Operation Sharing, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oxford, Salvation Army, 211, Oxford County Community Health Centre, Children’s Aid Society of Oxford, Oxford Community Foundation, Kiwanis Club of Ingersoll and the Ingersoll Community Foundation, with United Way Oxford acting as the coordinating lead.

The website includes a chart that shows whether families qualify, and children must attend publicly funded schools in Oxford County. Donations and registration are both available at unitedwayoxford.ca/supplies4students/.