Backpack Drives Support Students in Peterborough (Canada) and Wellington (New Zealand)

Community groups in Peterborough, Canada and Wellington, New Zealand organized backpack‑stuffing events to provide school supplies for students in need. In Peterborough, United Way’s annual Backpacks for Success campaign held a collection on Saturday, August 8, at Auto Connect Sales, filling two vintage Ford pickups with supplies for financially vulnerable students and new Canadians. Since its 2003 launch, the program has supplied nearly 13,000 backpacks, with 457 distributed last year.

In Wellington, volunteers from the Wellington Community Foundation, the Village of Wellington staff and the Wellington Rotary Club gathered on July 30 to assemble hundreds of backpacks for more than 400 local students ahead of the foundation’s Back‑to‑School Bash. The effort highlighted community collaboration to ensure children start the school year equipped with essential materials.