MOOSE JAW — As the cost of living continues to strain household budgets, a University of Regina student is once again rallying the community to help elementary and high school students start the school year prepared.
Austin Harvey has relaunched his Back to School Supplies Fundraiser for a second year, collecting donations of supplies and funds to purchase needed items with a plan to distribute them to local families in need this fall.
“The fundraiser is the same as last year, where I’m taking donations — whether that’s e-transfer money or mainly school supplies — and then getting in contact with families,” Harvey said. “I started by posting a Facebook post, and then families get in contact with me to then set (everything up) ….”
Harvey is accepting all school supply items, but some are in higher demand than others: wax crayons, pencil crayons, markers, and backpacks top this year’s wish list.
While the concept remains the same, there are some minor changes to logistics. Rather than offering a consistent pickup and drop off system, Harvey said it’ll be limited to a pickup-only basis this time around.
“We had to move … so it’s a slightly different situation this year,” he explained.
Harvey noted that in extreme cases, he will still find a way to get supplies to a family even if they can’t arrange a pickup.
Last year’s effort started off the new fundraising idea, but Harvey admitted that it came together rather last minute. “The first one was put together fairly quickly, but I was really happy with the outcome,” he said. In its inaugural year, the fundraiser reached 19 families and 42 individual children — creating a meaningful impact.
“It seemed like the community really came together to support it,” he said. “I’m hoping for it to be the same this year. The goal is to make it an annual thing and go from there.”
While Harvey doesn’t have a specific fundraising goal in mind, he said his focus is on ensuring supplies get to those who need them the most. “Any supplies that I have left over I’ll keep posting on Facebook … or (otherwise) find people who need it,” he added. One surplus recipient he’s considering is the new joint-use school set to open on South Hill this September.
This year’s main donation drive will run for about two weeks, but Harvey will continue to help families throughout the school year if a few sporadic donations continue to trickle in. “(I’ll still be there) in the background, off social media, finding a school that would need them,” he said.
“If I could leave any message, it would be a thank you to the Moose Jaw community for helping me out on such short notice in the first year, and I’m hoping to continue forward,” he said. “Even if it doesn’t gain as much traction as the first year, I’m still planning to do it every year and let it snowball and grow, hopefully to the point where maybe it’s no longer needed.”
To contact Harvey to ask for more information, make an e-transfer donation, or arrange a donation or school supply pickup, message him on Facebook under “Austin Harvey,” email [email protected], or text or call 306-631-4419.
