“I have seen year after year the relief that Operation Backpack provides to students in need"

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – Volunteers of America (VOA) announces Operation Backpack 2021! Every year, thousands of local students return to school without the basic supplies they need to be successful. After a year of remote learning and changing schedules, our community can give them the support they need to enter the new school year with confidence. 

VOA’s Operation Backpack officially kicks off its 15th year on Monday, July 12th. Due to continued COVID-19 restrictions, the campaign will be done in a hybrid manner, raising funds and physical items with the goal of providing 9,000 local students with the supplies they need to be successful in the new school year.

With support from local donors and businesses, school supplies will be purchased, shipped or delivered directly to students living in shelters, foster homes, and low-income housing whose families are doing the best they can to keep their children warm and safe.

Children who live in poverty or experience homelessness face many challenges and tremendous stigmatization – as a result, less than 25 percent graduate from high school. Preparing these children for school by providing them the supplies they need boosts their self-esteem and gives them the tools and confidence to learn and thrive.

“I have seen year after year the relief that Operation Backpack provides to students in need. Knowing they have all the supplies they need to be successful allows students to focus on their studies and flourish,” says Christie Holderegger, VP and Chief Development Officer for VOA. 

Last year, despite Covid-19 and thanks to nearly 105 corporate and other community partners, over 8,000 students in Northern California & Northern Nevada received a new backpack filled with school supplies.

This year, VOA's Operation Backpack is partnering with CBS13, CW31, and Good Day Sacramento and is sponsored by Sutter Health, Summit Funding, the Maximus Foundation, Basin Street Properties, Sierra Air, Kids Care Dental, and Phoong Law.

From July 12 to 30, community members interested in supporting Operation Backpack are encouraged to make a gift through VOA’s donation page at operationbackpackncnn.org or by texting “pack” to 44321. For more information on donating or sponsoring the program, contact Ana Bankert at 916-705-4641 or [email protected]

Volunteers of America is one of the nation’s largest, established comprehensive human services organizations with 16,000 mission-driven professionals, dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. 

At VOA Northern California and Northern Nevada, we specialize in bringing people out of homelessness to independence with love and dignity. For 110 years, we have been uplifting individuals, families, and communities in Northern California and Northern Nevada through recovery programs, housing, and employment counseling. Our work touches the mind, body, heart – and ultimately the spirit – of those we serve, integrating our deep compassion with highly effective programs and services. To learn more about our work, visit www.voa-ncnn.org.