This post was provided by Tara Sorensen, Digital Marketing Specialist at Sleep Country Canada as part of their Backpack for Kids Campaign.

Back-to-school season is an exciting time for Canadian children as they look forward to the year ahead, but unfortunately, some children do not have access to the supplies they need for a successful school year. At Sleep Country, we are committed to giving back to our local communities. Every summer, we provide children in need with essential school supplies through our Backpacks for Kids program.

For the second consecutive year, we are partnering with Engage and Change, a charity created to assist with the alleviation of poverty, foster good citizenship and encourage healthy communities. Partnering with Engage and Change allows us to accept cash donations that are used to purchase backpacks filled with school supplies for distribution to less fortunate kids across the country. We are very excited and thankful to continue this program in 2015.

“Engage and Change is all about identifying and partnering with community leaders who can have a positive impact on the lives of the less fortunate, and we applaud Sleep Country Canada for their commitment to building stronger communities across Canada,” says Jody Steinhauer, Founder of Engage and Change. “Last year we were able to distribute hundreds of Backpacks for Kids Kits across five provinces and we hope to more than double those numbers this year!  We encourage individuals, groups, and businesses to donate through CanadaHelps, and urge other corporate leaders to follow Sleep Country’s example and work with us to establish more projects like Backpacks for Kids.  It is crucial that kids across Canada -the future leaders of our communities – have the tools to help them reach their full potential.”

How Can You Help?

There are two easy ways to help a local child in need.

Option 1: Fill a Backpack

Simply donate a new backpack filled with school essentials at your local Sleep Country location before August 31. With 221 locations across Canada, you’re bound to find a Sleep Country in your neighbourhood! We recommended that you fill the backpack with the following school supplies: backpacks, non-toxic markers or crayons, educational workbooks, exercise books, dictionary, thesaurus, glue, glue sticks, geometry set, erasers, pencils, notebooks, highlighters, duotangs, flash cards, paper, scissors and tape. Find your closest Sleep Country location.

Option 2: Make a Donation

Alternatively, purchase a backpack for $45. Donations are accepted at every Sleep Country location as well as online at sleepcountry.ca/school. Engage and Change will use the monetary donation to purchase a backpack filled with essential supplies. Online donations will receive a tax receipt, however we are unable to provide a tax receipt for in-store donations.

Once we collect the backpacks, they are distributed locally by wonderful charitable organizations, such as The Salvation Army and The United Way. Proper school supplies are often a requirement of course curriculum and essential for academic achievement. Our mission at Sleep Country is to better the lives of Canadian families. We believe that every child deserves a great start to the school year.   With the generosity of Canadians, Backpack For Kids helps make this initiative come to life.

Thank you for supporting Backpacks For Kids and local Canadian children!

To learn more about the Backpacks for Kids campaign, visit Sleep Country Canada’s website >> 

To learn more about Engage and Change, visit their charity profile page >>

Updated on November 1, 2024