Tons of of scholars from Waltham, Watertown and Newton acquired a bounce on their back-to-school prep Monday — boosted by the Salvation Military’s program to distribute 850 backpacks stuffed with provides.
“Hardworking parents hit hard by inflation are having to make difficult decisions, like whether to buy needed school supplies for their kids, buy groceries, or put gas in their car,” the Salvation Military Massachusetts Division wrote in a launch Monday. “The Salvation Army helps by meeting a family’s back-to-school and other emergency needs.”
The Salvation Military Massachusetts Division hosted an annual “Tools for School” backpack giveaway on the Waltham Corps Group Heart from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday.
This system is one in every of a number of main as much as faculty aiming to help households residing paycheck to paycheck, the division stated, together with afterschool applications all year long.
Employees from the group’s Pathway of Hope Program had been on web site to offer details about sources for households experiencing poverty, and the Emergency Catastrophe Companies canteen supplied lunch and snacks all through the day.
About 11% of Waltham residents had been experiencing poverty as of late 2023, the group famous.
The Salvation Military reported they proceed “to see record numbers of requests for food, rent, utility and emergency assistance due to continued inflation and other factors like housing costs.”
