What is Operation Backpack®?
Operation Backpack® is a Volunteers of America initiative to fill in the gap for children experiencing homelessness and poverty. Your donations will help us provide backpacks and school supplies to unhoused and underprivileged children served by VOA programs through Upstate New York.
Whether you’re looking to host a donation drive at your company or make a donation on your own, you can make a difference through Operation Backpack®! Together, we can help ensure the children in our communities achieve academic success despite their circumstances.
How you can help
Shop the online store to select a pre-filled backpack that will ship directly to us.
Host an in-person or online supply drive at your business or community organization to support VOA. Contact us to receive a Giving Guide to learn more.
Donate online for any amount and your gift will go to providing supplies for a child in need.
FACTS & FIGURES
• On average, school supplies cost families about $80-$120 per child, depending on the grade level and specific school requirements.
• One in five school children in the U.S. live below the federally defined poverty line.
• Students from low-income families are less likely to come to school with the supplies they need, affecting participation, confidence, and academic performance.
• Well over 90% of public school teachers pay for school supplies out of pocket, without being reimbursed, according to the National Education Association.
