Children in need get backpacks full of increasingly costly back-to-school supplies

In the next couple of weeks, children will be heading back to school, which means parents will be out buying school supplies.

One Montreal non-profit is looking to help out by giving children backpacks full of gear.

Evanna Mellan, 8, is ready and happy to go back to school.

She was one of those at the Operation Sac A Dos event in Rosemont on Sunday.

The event allows children to choose their own backpacks and fill it with everything they need to check off their lists.

Each free bag has a value of around $150.

"The money that I'm saving here, I can use it for buying anything else for them, so it helps me," said Evanna's father Reynaldo Mellan.

The stop is one of Regroupment Partager's 30 distribution points across Quebec.

General manager Audrey Renaud said the non-profit is handing out around 10,000 backpacks.

"That's not even close to what we would like to do because, just as an example, this amount of people actually represents five per cent of the actual demand in Quebec," said Renaud.

One demographic that is particularly helped out is those new to Quebec.

Renaud said the profile of people in need is expanding because of the rising cost of living.

"So it's not only newcomers in Quebec now that are asking for help, but people like I mentioned, owning mortgages and houses and stuff," she said. "It's very concerning."

Even though she said the event is the largest giveaway in 23 years, as demand is rising, donations are dwindling.

"The number of donors as well as the amount given is much lower than what we've seen in the past few years," said Renaud.

Regardless of donation troubles, what was given out put a smile on many young children's faces, especially the ones who got their very first backpacks.