SVBLA, Red Root SVG join forces to donate school supplies

The St Vincent Building & Loan Association (SVBLA) has partnered with Red Root SVG, a local NGO, to donate school supplies to three families with children in need of support.

Drawing books, folders, notebooks, crayons, colour pencils, exercise books, pencil cases, pens and pencils among other supplies.

The initiative, dubbed the ‘The Backpack Giveback’ saw Antonia John and Delicia Francis who are now first formers at the Intermediate High School as well as Ronald Isaacs, a student at the Chateaubelair Methodist School, receive backpacks with school supplies courtesy SVBLA. The supplies included geometry sets, water bottles for the students to use to keep them hydrated, drawing books, folders, notebooks, crayons, colour pencils, exercise books, pencil cases, pens and pencils among other supplies.

The SVBLA in a release noted that re-entering the classroom environment can be stressful on its own but returning to school without the necessary supplies can increase feelings of anxiety and concern. The financial institution further stated that helping children succeed today builds a better future for everyone and that they are happy to be able to alleviate some of the pressure on families that need support, especially since many families spend hundreds of dollars to send their children back to school.

Red Root SVG expressed its elation on the collaboration and also cited the successful outcome of its back-to-school campaign which encompassed the distribution of essential supplies including backpacks, school shoes, educational materials, and notebooks, all designed to benefit the children; this included school supplies for Janila Francois who will be attending the Fitz Hughes Government School. Furthermore, as part of this commendable effort, parents made valuable contributions by providing gently-used textbooks, and in return, they received the necessary schoolbooks required for their children’s academic journey.

Red Root’s campaign and its support of the SVBLA ‘The Backpack Giveback’ initiative exemplifies its unwavering dedication to ensuring that children have access to the resources they need to excel academically and thrive in their educational pursuits, the release said.