Right on time for the new school year, Bags for Success is back in Cochrane.
It’s an annual program headed by Dawn Monroe, collecting donations of the essentials for school for families who can’t afford them.
“New and gently used backpacks, all sorts of school supplies, but no electronics,” Monroe says, noting that electronics are too expensive to ask for, and the schools provide them anyway.
“The other thing we’re collecting is new shoes, various sizes, because they need indoor shoes for gym,” she adds, “and again, parents may not be able to afford two pairs of shoes for their children.”
The shoes are for elementary students only. You can drop off donations at Fresh and Fancy Bakery and MicroSolve. The Cochrane Food Bank takes care of distribution. In this 19th year of Bags for Success, the food bank
bank has handed over all the backpacks donated to it.
“And I just picked up 20 very nice backpacks that have been gently used that we’ll be able to stuff this year,” remarks Monroe, “which is great, because those are expensive, too.”
Listen to our full interview to find out more, including why Dawn Monroe is looking to hand the torch to someone else next year.
