It all started with the vision of a five-year-old boy 13 years ago and it's led to smiles on the faces of thousands of less fortunate children.

The Stephen's Backpacks Society is in the midst of their campaign for Christmas 2018 and President Nancy McPhee says this year is the best one yet.

"We've already done 2,000 back to school backpacks and we're looking at doing 4,000 backpacks this Christmas which is probably a 100 percent increase over last year.  The donations have been wonderful, the support has been amazing and now we're going to make 4,000 kids smile and that's what it's all about."

The packs are made up of all new items since McPhee says it's a gift for a child who might not receive anything else at Christmas.  Items include blankets, age-appropriate toys, toques, mitts, socks, a candy bag and other things they can use.  Soap For Hope is providing over 3,000 hygiene kits this year.  The Calgary Hitmen provide the society with enough stuffies from their Teddy Bear Toss game to have one's head sticking out of every backpack.  

McPhee explains that backpacks go to children from baby to age 18.  She says, in terms of donations, they are always looking for items to make up the packs for teens.

"We really need blankets and teen gifts.  Everybody loves the younger kids but that's why we always start with the teens because we want to make sure the teens get a really good backpack.  An age-appropriate teen gift, books, things like that."

McPhee suggests that the best way to help is to make a cash donation because of the discounts they receive from their corporate sponsors.  

Stephen's Backpacks came to be in 2006 when Nancy and her late husband Jim were talking about homelessness after reading a story in a Calgary paper.  Five-year-old Stephen came in the room and asked if there were children living on the streets.  After being told by his mom and dad that there were Stephen said, "Mommy, I need to help them," and the organization was born.

"McPhee says, "He hasn't lost one ounce of passion and he's right, there shouldn't be kids living in shelters.  For me, it's very labour intensive.  It's a lot of work to put this program together every year because we have no paid staff.  The joy is when you go to that Christmas party at CUPS (Calgary Urban Project Society) and you see those little faces light up because you thought to do something for a child who isn't going to get very much this Christmas."

To find out about making a donation or helping to volunteer with the society, go to stephensbackpacks.com. 

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