School backpack 2026: give a child a chance

September 1st for most children is a celebration of new friendships, dreams, and possibilities. But for many boys and girls from families in difficult life circumstances, the start of the school year is accompanied by anxiety and shame over the lack of the most basic school supplies. The Caritas Khmelnytskyi UGCC Charitable Foundation asks you to support the "School backpack 2026" campaign and help 50 children receive everything they need for successful learning.

Every year, the specialists of the Caritas Khmelnytskyi UGCC Charitable Foundation meet dozens of children who need not only material assistance, but also the belief that they matter, that they are valued, and that they are not left alone with their difficulties.

Among them is 10-year-old Mariika. She lives with her mother and two younger brothers. Her mother raises the children on her own and works multiple jobs to provide the family with the bare essentials. Last year Mariika came to school with an old notebook that had only a few blank pages left. She was afraid to ask her mother to buy new ones, because she knew there was not enough money at home even for groceries.

There is also 12-year-old Andrii, whose father was killed during the war. The boy dreams of becoming an engineer, but his family is forced to count every hryvnia. On the eve of the school year, Andrii's greatest wish was not a new phone or a toy – it was a simple set of colored pencils and a drawing pad.

Such stories are not uncommon. Behind each of them lie a child's heartache, unspeakable pain, and dreams that may never come true without the support of caring people.

As part of the "School backpack 2026" charitable campaign, the Caritas Khmelnytskyi UGCC Charitable Foundation plans to provide 50 children from families in difficult life circumstances with complete sets of stationery supplies.

Each set will include notebooks, pens and pencils, felt-tip pens and paints, drawing pads, colored paper and cardboard, modeling clay, rulers, folder organizers for notebooks, and other materials necessary for learning.

The total cost of the project is 60,000 hryvnias.

For some, 100 hryvnias is a cup of coffee. For a child who is afraid to come to school without a notebook or a pen, it is the chance to feel equal among their peers. We are not simply buying stationery. We are giving children a sense of dignity, support, and confidence in their own abilities. We are helping them believe that adults are nearby and ready to lend a helping hand.

Today you can become part of this good story. Give a child not just a school kit. Give them the joy of the first school bell, a smile on their face, and the belief that their dreams matter.

Together with the Caritas Khmelnytskyi UGCC Charitable Foundation, let's fill school backpacks not only with notebooks and pens, but with hope, love, and care!