One in five school children in the U.S. live below the federally defined poverty line. On average, school supplies cost families about $80-$120 per child, depending on the grade level and specific school requirements. For some parents working hard just to provide shelter and stability, that can mean making difficult choices between purchasing school supplies or groceries.
With the opening of VOA’s Moving Forward Family Shelter last year, which provides temporary housing for up to 58 families a day, the demand for school supplies has grown significantly. This fall, dozens more children from our emergency shelters will be heading back to school in need of essential supplies.
That’s why VOA Upstate New York is relaunching the Operation Backpack® program, ensuring every child we serve can return to the classroom with the tools they need to succeed both academically and beyond. We are trying to provide more than 300 children with new backpacks and school supplies.
We welcome and encourage support from community members, corporate partners, churches, and other local organizations. Host a supply drive or participating in VOA’s online drive, where pre-filled backpacks can be purchased directly from our wish list and shipped straight to VOA for distribution before school starts.