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37| O akville B eaver | T hursday,A ugust 23,2018 insidehalton.com Canada's Largest Golf Show February 8-10, 2019 International Centre Reach thousands of highly engaged GTA golfers, travellers their families & friends. NOW BOOKING! www.torontogolfshow.com Canada's Largest Golf Show February 8-10, 2019 International Centre Parents know that send- ing kids back to school can come with a hefty price tag for new clothes, school sup-for new clothes, school sup-f plies and activity fees. For low-income parents, howev- er, these additional costs are often beyond their means. Before the bell rings on Day 1 of the new school year in September, the Halton Learning Foundation (HLF) will have already fielded more than a dozen requests to support students of the Hal- ton District School Board (HDSB) who face financial barriers to their education. "Clothing, lunches and school supplies are the most requested items at the begin- ning of the school year," says Lesley Mansfield, executive director of the HLF. Annually, funds from HLF support these basic necessi- ties, as well as school trans- portation, field trips and school activities for more than 1,100 financially vulner- able HDSB students. Without some financialWithout some financialW support many of these kids risk being left out or left be- hind in learning, says Mans- field, such as the teenagerfield, such as the teenagerf whose single parent died of cancer, leaving her alone to raise a younger sibling. "The Grade 12 student had a part-time job and some in- surance money but was struggling to pay for winter clothing for herself and her sister," Mansfield says. "With- out a helping hand, she might have dropped out of school to pay for these necessities. "We provide emergency funds to get students andfunds to get students andf their families past an imme- diate crisis, help keep kids in class and allow them to have the same learning opportuni- ties as their peers." HLF's Back to School fundraising campaign aimsfundraising campaign aimsf to raise $40,000 by Sept. 30 to ensure students have the sup- plies they need to start the school year on the right foot. To donate or learn more,To donate or learn more,T visit haltonlearningfounda- tion.ca or text BACKPACK01 to 20222 to donate $20 now. NEW SCHOOL YEAR OFTEN A FINANCIAL BARRIER TO LOW-INCOME PARENTS COMMUNITY HALTON LEARNING FOUNDATION PROVIDES EMERGENCY FUNDS