Thanks to the Weyburn Salvation Army's Back to School program, and sponsorship from Bree Patterson and her family, 42 local students will return to school with all the supplies they need.
Patterson, Associate Broker at ReMax Weyburn Realty, said the Salvation Army makes it easy, as for the past couple of years they've been ordering the supplies directly from School Start.
"Just for ease, and then kids are getting exactly what is on their school supply list and it just comes right to the Salvation Army," she said.
While she noted she's not sure where she got the idea originally to begin sponsoring the program, with four children of her own, she knows the importance and expense of school supplies.
"it was an opportunity for me to be able to give back to the community that supports my business in town," shared Patterson. "It's one thing I'm able to do, and I enjoy doing it. It kind of gives them a good start of the basics that they need, and then there will be some extras, but hopefully it's the majority of what they need for their kids to have a good start to the year."
Community Ministries Worker Nicole Strickland said the applicants provide her with a supply list, which they then we go through and discuss what they need and what they don't. This way, they aren't ordering more than is needed, as some students have favourite items, favourite colours, or a good amount of leftover school supplies from the previous year.
Strickland added the parents will begin picking up the supplies as early as today.