Cheryl Watson, co-owner of Auto Connect Sales in Peterborough, believes it shouldn’t be hard to be a kid.
That’s why, on Saturday, August 8, the well-known used car dealership is partnering with United Way Peterborough & District to host a one-day donation blitz that will equip financially vulnerable students with the supplies they need to excel this academic school year.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the “Fill the Fords” event at Auto Connect Sales at 1175 Lansdowne Street West invites community members and businesses to donate to United Way’s Backpacks for Success program. The program supports local students in kindergarten to grade 12 by providing them with backpacks stocked with essential school supplies.
“We firmly believe that every student, no matter what it is that they’re walking through, deserves to walk into their first day of school feeling prepared, set up for success, and confident,” says Adeline Murphy, campaign officer for United Way Peterborough & District.
“Unfortunately for many families in our community, purchasing school supplies has just become increasingly difficult. What we have learned is that our community can come together through programs like this one to make a real difference in the lives of those students.”
The affordability crisis has made the situation even worse. According to the United Way Centraide Canada Financial Anxiety Index poll, conducted by Léger and released in June, 40 per cent of Canadians report difficulty sleeping due to financial stress and 22 per cent of Canadians have personally experienced poverty, which is up from 19 per cent in 2025.
“We see the effects of the affordability crisis that we’re experiencing across the country in our community every single day,” says Murphy. “For many families, school supplies have just become one more expense that is increasingly difficult to manage.”
The Backpacks for Success program meets this growing demand by curating backpacks with age-appropriate school supplies for students across the city and county of Peterborough. Families can request the backpacks through the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board and the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, as well as through United Way’s other local partners like the New Canadians Centre.
Since launching the program locally in 2003, United Way Peterborough & District has provided more than 12,886 backpacks to youth in the community, filled with new, age-appropriate supplies including pens, pencils, scissors, sharpeners, erasers, lined paper, calculators, binders, and more.
The program has evolved to include many local businesses and organizations across the city and county who sign up to host their own collection drives. As a result, the United Way met all requests from partners last year by supplying 457 backpacks to local students and new Canadians.
Murphy hopes to see even more businesses getting involved this summer by hosting their own drives and suggests businesses use the campaign to challenge one another.
“Some friendly competition could result in even more backpacks being assembled for local students,” she says. “We want it to feel like a big celebration of generosity in this community, and what better way than some healthy competition among friends in business?”
Auto Connect Sales was one of the businesses hosting a drop-off point last year but Watson was eager to expand their efforts this year by encouraging community members and businesses to “Fill the Fords.”
“I just remember when I was a kid and you would get excited about going back-to-school shopping and you’d get your new pencil case and your erasers and pencil crayons,” Watson says. “It just makes me so sad that some kids can’t do that. Some kids don’t have the money to get excited about going back to school so if we can help in a teeny, tiny, small way, that’s a good day.”
The goal is to gather enough school supplies to fill two vintage Ford pickup trucks in the Auto Connect Sales showroom: a 1996 Ford F150 and a restored 1951 Mercury that still has some of its original parts. There will also be a barbeque and ice cream available, as well as games and opportunities to learn about United Way’s essential programming.
People can also make monetary donations to help the United Way purchase any additional needed school supplies, including more expensive items that are less likely to be donated such as math kits and scientific calculators. Another option is to shop for needed items using the United Way’s Amazon wishlist to send items directly to the United Way office.
United Way is also seeking $500 sponsorships that could be used to supply reusable water bottles to elementary school-aged children.
Businesses can get involved by hosting their own drives or collections by emailing the United Way at b4s@uwpeterborough.ca or by connecting through Facebook or Instagram.
“Whether you’re looking to donate, whether you want to be part of Fill the Fords with Auto Connect Sales, or whether you want to run a donation drive of your own, we welcome involvement of any and all kinds,” Murphy says.
In addition to supporting as many local students as possible, Watson hopes community members walk away from “Fill the Ford” with a greater sense of appreciation and understanding of the challenges faced by financially vulnerable families locally.
“I hope that it creates a bigger awareness for how big the problems are for kids,” she says. “It’s teaching their children to be kind and to just give a little bit because you don’t have to have the moon. It’s a drop in the bucket, but every drop counts. If you have $2 to give or you have $5 to give or you have $50 to give, it all counts.”
To learn more about Backpacks for Success, visit uwpeterborough.ca/get-involved/backpacks-for-success/.
