As many are gearing up for the fun, festive frenzy the holiday season brings, some families in 性视界传媒 will be struggling to stay afloat, as they feel the pinch from inflation.
Frank Hurt Secondary students are no exception to the issue impacting many around B.C., which is why every donation helps, said principal Brian Tait on Tuesday (Dec. 3), also known as Giving Tuesday.
"We're considered an inner-city school," Tait said.
"There's lots of new people to Canada and this is one of their first places they are. We have lots of people, just like everybody else, who are struggling with the cost of everything. We have a host of people for many reasons why 鈥� sometimes it's just a matter of circumstance 鈥� that need help."
The Newton-area high school has more than 100 students in the lunch program, with the figure growing each year.
Newton is one of the most common landing places for newcomers to the country to settle, which has helped shape a large portion of the student population at Frank Hurt. Still, the demographic of students and families relying on support is not exclusive to just this population, but is instead, affecting many from all walks of life.
"We're just a microcosm of what's out there," Tait explained, but, "We're super fortunate that we're able to help in so many ways."
Having donors to help provide meals, grocery store gift cards and weekend necessity hampers is a great benefit to the school, Tait said.
But with the economic climate of the province as a whole, "The need is always going to outweigh or outpace the supply."
Other crucial ways Frank Hurt's population receives support is through donations of sports equipment, especially since many students are unable to afford the cost that comes with extracurricular sports that are not school-based.
"Food is super important, so is participation in so many activities, both in curricular and extracurricular. We want our kids to be able to do things and have opportunities that they couldn't have otherwise," the principal explained.
"You could pick any of the extracurricular activities, like club basketball or club volleyball or a dance. Those activities outside that others can have, lots and lots of our kids could never have that opportunity outside of school, they couldn't, regardless of their athletic ability, it's because of the costs."
The rise in students and their families needing support year-round has "definitely" seen an increase in the past year at Frank Hurt, he shared.
With winter break for schools approaching, hampers are being made and gift cards are being collected to be handed out to families for a little boost in support.
"We give a person a $100 gift card to Superstore or Save On Foods over the break and that sounds like a lot, but if you've gone shopping, it's not. It doesn't change your life. You don't need many things in your cart before it's $100, and so we're doing the most we can with what we have," Tait said.
With organizations such as Raven Supply and the Singh Foundation, more students are receiving more support, but the school is always looking for more donors.
"We're very fortunate to have those two organizations... anyone who wants to help is welcome at Frank Hurt."
Interested individuals or organizations can contact the school directly or through the district's business development department by emailing donations@surreyschools.ca
"It's hard for any circumstance, from fires to a parent death, you name it. How do we make those people, those kids feel special, feel like they belong and like they're not different, they're not alone," the principal emphasized, adding that "anything" helps.
"A gift card does that to help their family along, lotion does that, things that make people feel like other people really care about them, because we do. It's anything, from backpacks to lotion to anything that makes a teenager feel supported.
"It's not just here, you could go to any school, and I think there's some schools that certainly have more of a need, but there are needs everywhere."
While many would feel overwhelmed with the large and growing population Frank Hurt has and will continue to have, Tait looks at the situation from a different lens.
"We think what a privilege it is to be the first people and how we can help them and sometimes to show them... just that we take care of one another is an unbelievable privilege. Our number keeps growing but we are lucky that it is.
"The most important thing we can give kids is time."
