North Central Family Centre's Back to School Bash brings community together
Taking place on Wednesday, the event had everything kids needed to be prepared for the first day of school, thanks to several sponsors and donors, including the centre's partner Alliance Energy.
'We also have individual donations, so we go out and purchase backpacks, we fill them with the necessary school supplies just to ensure that every child goes back to school successful,' said NCFC development director Tamara Woroschuk.
Local non-profit organization My City Care was on hand for the event, providing free clothing for the community. The organization, which started in Lethbridge, Alta. but expanded to Regina this spring, is looking to fill a gap that other non-profits in the city might not be able to, according to executive director Brett Liske.
'Our volunteers are here to provide just like you would have the opportunity to go to any of our retail stores. They can shop with dignity and feel like they're actually finding pieces for their kids that are really great, that they choose and they're in control of,' Liske explained.
'Today we had this couple that were just so excited, he found the perfect shirt for his wife, and she was just so excited. Like you picked that shirt out for me, right. That ownership over it. And that's harder and harder for parents to do. So, we hope that this is an opportunity to for people to shop in a really dignified way and to support the work that NCFC is already doing.'
Both organizations agree that the price of back-to-school supplies, which include clothing, have soared in price and become unaffordable for some families in Regina. So, offering free school supplies like backpacks, binders and even shoes, is something they hope can have a positive impact.
'As a kid, you want that sweet pair of shoes, so we hope that there's a few kids that come here today that will find that perfect pair of shoes, and that will help them feel proud and just get that little bit of a boost of self-esteem that they need in order to get back into school,' Liske said.
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