Smiling african american girl with backpack on her way to school. Words say Operation Backpack. It's not just a backpack. It's a launching pad.

Back-to-School Supply Drive 

It’s easy for us to imagine the big dreams of kids. We all had them: becoming an astronaut, an artist, or a professional sports player.

Experiencing Science City for the first time.
beautiful, African-American child concentrating on science experiment

Sometimes, however, we forget about the little dreams. About how having a new backpack that isn’t ripped or having a stack of new pens would make everything better. Children living in poverty have all of those dreams – big and small – the same as every other child in America.

Kids from struggling families dread showing up on the first day without a backpack, notebooks, sneakers, calculator, or lunchbox. For some, it might look like just a pack of pencils or a backpack, but to those we serve, it’s new hope for having a successful school year.

To help even the playing field, we need your help.

Now until August 8, Phoenix Family is hosting its annual "Operation Backpack" Campaign to make sure that every student we serve has the supplies they need to start the school year off with a bang.

How you can help:

Dark haired girl smiling at camera on playground
  1. Donate New School Supplies: Purchase new school supplies from our wish list and drop off your donation at Phoenix Family’s Home Office by August 8. Or purchase items from one of our wishlists and have them delivered to us. For more information on supplies needed, download our Operation Backpack Flyer.
  2. Run a School Supply Drive: Is your company, community group, or friends looking for a way to be involved in our community more? Consider hosting a school supply drive! For more information, download our school supply drive toolkit. We've done much of the heavy lifting for you!  Kit includes sample emails, flyers, and other things you need to run a successful supply drive.
  3. Donate Money to Purchase School Supplies: Phoenix Family can leverage your donation to purchase backpacks and supplies.
    • $25 purchases a backpack and supplies for a K–4th Grader
    • $50 purchases a backpack and supplies for a 5th–8th Grader


Thank you for your support!

If you need more information or have any questions, please contact us by emailing Laurel or by calling us at 816.612.8841.



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