The Backpack Plus Program: Children are our Business!

CPAN is appealing to the community in the County of Renfrew to help save its Backpack Plus program so that children in need can start their school year with dignity - with a backpack, school supplies and shoes.

”Thank you for allowing my child to be just like the other children!”
- Parent and Backpack Plus recipient

A small investment in one child’s life can make a huge difference! Just think about it. Imagine that you’re a 7-year-old child starting the school year with only one pair of old runners. Your teacher tells you that you need a second pair for indoor use (and sometimes a third pair for gym). Then there are the remaining items on the school supply list that includes crayons, markers, a calculator etc. etc., plus the need for a backpack in which to carry everything daily from home to school and back. For the average family with a decent income, that prospect is daunting enough. Imagine though being a family in need that cannot provide your children with such school necessities. The impact, as you can well imagine, would be devastating, not only for the child but for the parents who are sick with the feeling of shame and disappointment for their child. In a county where one in nine children are living in need, this is a reality far too many families experience. You can help change this and we at CPAN are counting on it! Download the pledge form for more information. 

Backgrounder

2000: The Backpack Plus program unofficially started with the formation of CPAN. A few concerned individuals felt strongly that action was needed to help children in need, even if this meant stuffing one backpack at a time - which they did.

2001 – 2004: A network of a few concerned individuals stuffed backpacks and did what they could realizing that many children needed help with back-to-school items.

2005: CPAN applied for and received funding from the Renfrew County National Child Benefit Reinvestment Fund and Backpack Plus was born.

2006-2007: Renfrew County National Child Benefit Reinvestment Fund continued to support Backpack Plus. More referrals were made each year and as demand increased, the program became very well supported and year upon year became more efficient. Eleven locations were established across the county where clients could access the vouchers. Sixteen stores agreed to accept the vouchers. This made Backpack Plus a very accessible program especially for those who had limited resources and/or transportation issues. By 2007, 1,200 Renfrew County children received backpacks, school supplies and shoes. No advertising was needed as school boards, social agencies and organizations throughout Renfrew County referred clients to this program. Many agencies and organizations also helped with distribution, including paying for staffing.

2008: This was the last year that CPAN received funding from Renfrew County National Child Benefit Reinvestment Fund.

2009-2010: CPAN struggled to keep the program running; we applied for funding from many sources and most were not successful. Through creativity and dipping into the general fund, CPAN managed to run the program for two additional years. The general fund included the $50,000 CPAN received from the Atkinson Foundation.

2011: Children are Our Business
The increasing use of Backpack Plus is due to many things, including high poverty rates, easy accessibility to the program and the stores who take the vouchers, and it is delivered in a dignified and respectful manner. This is extremely important as many individuals in need are often stigmatized and judged. Backpack Plus helps to remove barriers to learning, and gives every child the opportunity to reach their full potential in life, despite their financial status. Backpack Plus continues to make a big difference for children and families.

Our Request for Donations

CPAN is determined to help these children in need, who without our assistance will have to return to school unprepared to learn, and who will feel socially excluded. We know that children who are included do much better at school and are more likely to succeed, graduate and transition to post secondary education. This year we estimate that there will be a need of between 1500 to 2000 children who will need backpacks, supplies, and shoes. We need your help to do this. Please download our pledge form (PDF) or have a look at some suggestions below. 

1600 local children and youth need a backpack, school supplies and shoes
Can you, or someone you know help sponsor a local child?

It only costs $75 per student, per year

There are many ways that you can help. You can:

• Make an individual donation*
• Sponsor a child @ $75 (feel free to sponsor multiple children)
• Hold a fundraiser for The Backpack Plus program and set a goal to help a certain amount of children
• Have a collection at work
• Ask businesses that you use and/or friends to support Backpack Plus
• Challenge other like minded groups or organizations (i.e. one office to another, one insurance office to a competitor, or realtor)
• Donate in the name of others (birthday, special teacher, coach)

*All individual donations of $10 or more will receive a tax receipt on request.

We need to work together to help all children in need!

Cheques can be made payable to CPAN (with Backpack Plus in memo)

Please drop off or send to:

CPAN
c\o The Phoenix Centre for Children and Families
130 Pembroke Street W
Pembroke ON K8A 5M8

CPAN
c\o The Phoenix Centre for Children and Families
191 Plaunt Street S.
Renfrew ON K7V 1M7

For more information please contact:
Lyn Smith, Coordinator
Tel: 613 735 2374 ext. 250
Fax: 613 735 2378
Email: lsmith@phoenixctr.com

Why is there the need?

Parents across Renfrew County are facing increasing financial need and challenges for their school-aged children. These challenges are evident on several fronts:

School Board Restraint and Footwear Regulations
School boards have been forced by financial necessity to download the cost of school supplies onto parents. School boards in Renfrew County also require students to have running shoes for classroom and gymnasium activities that have non-marking soles, and purely for indoor use. This means Renfrew County parents must purchase extra footwear for their children outside the necessary footwear required for school. Back Pack Plus has been well received by low income parents, social service agencies, and schools. Until now, no advertising or marketing has been required for the Back Pack Plus program due to the overwhelming need and the support we received from all school boards, schools and social service agencies in Renfrew County.

Unfortunately, they all too often come from the backpacks of children, from necessary footwear or clothing purchases, and/or make the painful decision to deny children school or community related activities such as; hot lunches, field trips, and participation with extracurricular activities. Parents are too often forced to make the difficult choice between meeting their families basic needs (including food), and being able to involve their children fully and adequately in their schools and communities, and see to it that they have appropriate clothing for Canada's extreme weather conditions.

We know that by removing the barriers to success we can give every child the opportunity to reach their full potential in life, regardless of their socio-economic background. It is for these reasons that CPAN is working hard to keep the Backpack Plus program running.

We can all make a huge difference in a child's life by providing this program, please help us to assist every child that needs help!

Join our Backpack Challenge.. the competition has started, and we have already had some individuals and organizations step up to the plate. Download the flyer (PDF) to find out more. 

Please feel free to print, post, and send to your networks...our children are worth it!

We need to help 1600 so far we have 308! Let's keep going! We can do it (we always do)