The community came together once again to support the Pack a Backpack School Supply Drive on Thursday, August 28. The event began at 9 a.m. at Giant Tiger in Steinbach, where people stopped in throughout the day to donate, share their stories, and help local children prepare for school. $2,270 in cash and online donations were collected, along with bins filled with school supplies. All items will go to the Steinbach Family Resource Centre (SFRC), and Executive Director Jo-Anne Dalton says she was overwhelmed by the generosity. “These bins were empty when we got here, full by the end of the day. Probably 50 backpacks that we've just kind of packed up with things that's going to do a lot for students in our community. It's going to help us really get set. We've filled a lot of backpacks already this year. So, this puts us in a really good position now to get organized for next year as well.” @steinbach_online Jo-Anne Dalton talks #PackaBackpack ♬ original sound - SteinbachOnline Dalton explains that all donations are taken back to the SFRC building where they are sorted into a trailer. “We have a summer team all day tomorrow. It's their last day, actually. And so that's what they're going to be doing tomorrow, is organizing, sorting, inventorying all the stuff that came in today, thanks to the amazing community, the generosity that we seen.” She says this initiative makes a real difference for families. “At least 200 students per year, get backpacks from us full of school supplies. All the essentials that they need to have a really good return to school.” SFRC Board Chair Shelley Perrick says she is proud of what this initiative means for families and grateful to the community for donating. “This is fantastic. I take my grandkids shopping for their school supplies every year and they're so excited for all their new things. To see this and supporting all these families, every child is going to be so excited to go back to school.” One of the event’s sponsors, Precision Redi Mix, says supporting initiatives like this is an important part of who they are, and Manager Tracey Klippenstein explains why. “I think we are very family oriented where I work at Precision Redi Mix, and our partners MDM Sand and Gravel, and family is very important. I am a mom first before I am a manager and it's very important for me to know that kids are going to have school supplies.” For anyone who couldn’t attend the drive but still wishes to contribute, Dalton says donations are accepted year-round. “They can go to our website, steinbachfrc.ca/donate is where they can make their online donation, or they can come by our centre, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 4:00. We're at 101 North Front Drive with their new items or their school supplies that their kids haven't used from previous years we take all.” The Pack a Backpack School Supply Drive was once again a huge success thanks to the generosity of the community and the support of its sponsors: Giant Tiger Keystone Cinema Friesen Drillers Precision Redi Mix Smitty’s Steinbach Pic ‘n’ Pay Shoes Steinbach Dodge With files from Corny Rempel and Kenton Dyck