Welcome Hall Mission helps Montreal children and families head back to school

Welcome Hall Mission is hosting the 21st edition of its back-to-school event, “Rentrée la tête haute,” Tuesday and Wednesday. This year’s theme is “Connect to Your Future.”

Over 1,900 backpacks filled with the latest school supplies will be distributed to elementary and high school students.

“When they go back to school, it’s important they go back with their head held high,” said Welcome Hall Mission president and CEO Sam Watts. “And so we have something here where we make sure that they’re well equipped to have success in school. Success in school matters because that’s a predictor of future success.”

Watts says it’s especially important this year as inflation has had a big impact on families and their revenue.

“For somebody who is on the lower income scale, they’re spending the majority of their money on lodging or housing and food. And so the impact of inflation is enormous now,” said Watts. “And yet at this time of year, you’ve got to pay sometimes upwards of $100 for a backpack and school supplies.

“And so we’ve seen that the needs are growing, and particularly of people who are right on the threshold of the poverty line. And that is concerning to us.”

Watts says the Welcome Hall Mission used to primarily help who were unemployed. That’s changing.

“Now we’re seeing that there’s people who are regular working families, simply with the cost of rent can’t make ends meet.”

#WATCH: “Allowing children to go back to school with new supplies & a high-quality backpack definitely helps enhance their self-esteem, interest in school,” said Sam Watts, of Welcome Hall Mission, kicking off their back-to-school event. @whmba https://t.co/VSyCenDz4D pic.twitter.com/jPglZU5LKm

— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) August 16, 2022

The Welcome Hall Mission is also organizing activities for children and adults onsite to help them learn more about different occupations.

Partner organizations also in attendance to inform parents about various community resources available to help families support their children’s academic development.

“I think one of the key things to understand is that this is not going away,” said Watts. “And one of the concerns I have is around the necessity of such an event.”

For more: Welcome Hall Mission