The Back-to-School Drive is Here!
If you can believe it (I certainly can’t), we are about six weeks away from kids going back into the classrooms. Which means one thing at Family Giving Tree…
It’s time for the Back-to-School Drive!
As a kid, I LOVED back-to-school time—wandering through school supply aisles and deciding how to start the new year off right. And it seems school supplies are even cooler now than when I was a kid. As much as I liked Trapper Keepers, I would have LOVED gel pens or a Barbie backpack back in the day!
This year, our goal is to provide backpacks filled with essential school supplies to 35,000 students across the Bay Area and beyond. This is made possible by the incredible community of people like you who show up every year to support this work. It’s so heartwarming to see people committed to making sure every child gets what they need.
Did you know that every year we survey the schools and organizations we serve to find out exactly what students need? That way, we don’t simply guess or assume. We listen to them because they have the experience and knowledge of what is needed in and out of the classroom. In 2023, educators told us that water bottles had become a necessity for students. Today, they are a staple in every single backpack we distribute.
For many families in the Bay Area, the rising cost of everyday essentials means school supplies are one more added financial stress. Something as simple as a backpack stocked with notebooks, pencils, and crayons (and so much more) can help alleviate that stress. It doesn’t just tell a child, “You are ready.” It tells a parent, “You are not alone.”
If you are wondering how to help, check this out: your $50 donation to our 2026 Back-to-School Drive provides a fully stocked backpack to a Bay Area student starting school in August. Because we work directly with suppliers to purchase items in bulk, we can stretch your donation dollars further than shopping retail. A backpack filled with supplies can retail for $100 or more, but your $100 donation goes twice as far, providing backpacks for two children.
There are also so many other ways to be part of this. Volunteer your time. Purchase backpacks and supplies directly. Drop off donations at our headquarters or through one of our community drive leaders. You can learn more here.
Thank you for being part of this community and for believing, like we do, that every child deserves a strong start.
In hope, joy, and community,
