Back-to-school costs are breaking N.L. budgets this year, charities say

With the first bell ringing in schools across the province on Sept. 6, back-to-school shopping is on the agenda for many families — and two local charity groups say more and more are turning to them to fill their children's backpacks.

One of them is Neighbours in Need Newfoundland, which helps those struggling to afford food and other everyday essentials.

Its founder Cortney Barber says she's run a dedicated back-to-school program since the group's beginnings in 2020. This year, over 260 people have registered, with at least another 200 on the wait list.

"It's such a high expense for kids to go back to school, especially [for] parents with multiple children," said Barber, who is a mother of four herself.

"You're already fighting to make ends meet. So those extra costs are huge."

It's an expensive time for many. According to Retail Council of Canada's back-to-school survey, the number of people wanting to spend less has increased slightly this year.

More than 70 per cent of Canadians plan on spending more than $50 on the start of school, however, buying supplies ranging from simple notebooks to pricier calculators and backpacks.

Neighbours in Need is focusing on sneakers.

People availing of the program come from different social backgrounds, said Barber, and for many on the list, it's a first.

"We have eight people ... registered for back-to-school help who have sponsored children in the past. So, I mean, people are just seeing really hard times," she said.

"The need has risen so much this year. It's insane."

Simultaneously, said Barber, donations have dropped — something she links to tough economic times.

"We really anticipated going into this year that we would exceed last year's numbers with ease, because we had lots of things left over last year and we had just ample support," she said. "But we're definitely seeing the pinch this year.... With inflation, everyone is feeling the pinch."

At St. John's food bank Bridges to Hope, executive director Jody Williams has also noticed the trend.