Local student volunteers from the non-profit organization, ACCESS: Allowing Children a Chance at Education, Inc. collected donations of new school supplies at St. Marguerite d'Youville Church in Brampton, concluding on August 31, 2008. This year was the third year of the drive, which focused on sending supplies to a highly populated school in Honduras. The donations have been shipped through Toronto-based Canadian Food for Children, a charitable organization founded by Dr. Andrew Simone, run entirely by volunteers.

"Donating supplies aids citizens in becoming aware that we live in one global village, and that our charitable efforts truly make a difference in the world," Daniel Francavilla, Founder of ACCESS added, "It is also a great opportunity for youth to become involved in a youth-run organization, and recognize the importance of international development."

Donated items included basic school supplies such as writing utensils, notebooks, art supplies, backpacks, and more.Cocoa Camino premium Fair Trade Certified chocolate bars and cane sugar were also sold at the event, which support the livelihoods of the producer farmers in developing countries.

Kathryn Trnavsky, a university student and member of ACCESS, explains that drive is a great way to show the community that youth are becoming more aware of social issues globally. She adds, "It also shows that we, the youth, are 150 percent invested in finding the solution to providing a basic education for all. Every year we will make the effort to host a school supply drive, helping as many children as we can."

Rogers Television was also present at the event, gathering footage for the news story that aired on Rogers First Local on September 3rd.

Although the drive has ended, cheques for current ACCESS projects can still be made payable to "ACCESS: Allowing Children a Chance at Education, Inc."

For general updates on the non-profit organization, visit the ACCESS website at www.accesscharity.ca. To book informational presentations, host your own school supply drive, or to learn more, send an email to info@accesscharity.ca.

ACCESS: Allowing Children a Chance at Education, Inc., also referred to as "ACCESS Charity", is a student-run non-profit organization whose goal is to provide needy children in the developing world with school uniforms and necessary school supplies, so that they have the opportunity to obtain the education required to find decent employment and support their families. ACCESS also aims to educate youth in North America about relevant issues in the developing world.