Telus Community Ambassadors are easing some of that back-to-school financial strain for families in Surrey.
Five hundred students will receive a free backpack filled with school supplies in time to start the new school year.
The initiative is part of Telus’ Kits for Kids program, an annual tradition through which thousands of backpacks are distributed to young students in need across Canada.
“Back-to-school preparation is a crucial step in our kids’ academic success,” said Ross Simpson, local president of the Telus Community Ambassadors. “Each parent wants their child to have everything they need to start the school year on the right foot. Unfortunately, several of them are unable to do so due to financial hardships.
“Children deserve an equal opportunity to succeed, learn and grow.”
Since 2006, nearly 60,000 Kits for Kids backpacks have been given to kids in need.
The kits are prepared by Community Ambassadors each May during the annual Telus Day of Giving – a special day in which Telus team members and retirees across Canada volunteer in support of local activities to make positive, heartfelt and lasting connections within their communities.
The backpacks are filled with the essential school supplies needed for each grade: pencils, loose-leaf sheets, pencil cases, rulers and much more.
The kits then are delivered to school districts in June to allow the schools to determine need and to be able to notify recipient children and parents before they break for the summer.