United Way Bruce Grey (UWBG) has helped thousands of students go back to school with the supplies they need to be successful this year.
With the support of donors, volunteers, schools, and community agencies across Bruce and Grey counties, the United Way Bruce Grey Backpack Program helped 2,460 local students start the school year with the supplies they needed.
The students that received help from the program covered four different levels of schooling, including 631 primary students, 640 intermediate students, 466 senior students, and 723 high schoolers.
Of the total students assisted, 1,992 received support through local agencies and schools, while another 468 students were assisted through individual family registrations through 211, according to a media release from UWBG.
The numbers also show that the 2,460 students that were assisted through the backpack program represents 10 per cent of the student body enrolled across the three publicly funded school systems serving Bruce and Grey. It is also a seven per cent rise in need from 2025. Since the backpack program began, 42,755 local students have been assisted.
"Every backpack represents a local child starting the school year with the tools they need and the confidence that comes with being prepared," said Francesca Dobbyn, Executive Director of United Way Bruce Grey. "Reaching 42,755 students assisted over the life of this program is an incredible reflection of the generosity of our community. This year alone, 2,460 students received support because donors, volunteers, businesses, schools, and community partners came together to make sure local kids could start the school year ready to learn."
