Almost 600 backpacks given to Ukrainian children for new school year

Ukrainian refugees who arrive in the province with next to no personal items are being given hope through Manitoba Parents for Ukrainian Education's initiative to gather school supplies for youths.

Manitoba Parents for Ukrainian Education (MPUE) is a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to furthering the development and enrichment of the English-Ukrainian Bilingual Program in Manitoba.

In April, MPUE announced the initiative called Backpacks 4 Hope, which helps Ukrainian children new to the province with getting ready for the upcoming school year. 

"The idea behind it is to distribute backpacks for newcomer Ukrainian students in the province of Manitoba. It's backpacks filled with school supplies, hygiene items, stuffed animals or small toys for youth ages two to 17 who are enrolled in school or daycare or preschool," says Karen Johnston, Vice President External for MPUE. 

In July, only after less than three months of collecting donations, the MPUE had filled and distributed just under 400 personalized backpacks, each with an approximate average retail value of $90. As indicated in a media release, by August 13, the number had risen to 565 backpack distributions. Still, more work needs to be done as there are 725 registrations for backpacks and more are being received every day. These registrations represent 473 newly arrived Ukrainian families.

"We welcome any donation of goods to fill our backpacks. Our top needs can be found on our website and that would include school supplies, backpacks, hygiene items, small toys, reading books, and also monetary donations are gratefully accepted. it allows us to fill in gaps if we are short on a certain item and tax receipts are issued for every monetary donation over $20."

Currently, the packaging and assortment of backpacks happen in a garage in Selkirk. No volunteers have arisen to help with packing other than board members and family members of those people, but Johnston says that if anyone wishes to help, to contact them through their website and they can see what they can set up.

Anyone wishing to sign up to receive a backpack can also visit the MPUE website, all new comers are welcome to register.

Johnston notes that most Ukrainian refugees arrive at their new homes with hardly any personal belongings. Backpacks 4 Hope is here to provide these families with some hope to ensure them that everything will be okay.

"I just know that sometimes these families come with very little and that the idea behind Backpacks 4 Hope, even the name behind it, is that we know that even though this backpack is a very small gesture, it provides them with much comfort. When they receive it we can see that, even through the messages that we receive, it brings them hope and comfort behind it."