First time wait list for backpacks
Northumberland United Way has nearly wrapped up its annual Backpacks for Kids program for another year.
This year, the organization anticipated over 1,000 backpacks to be distributed across Northumberland County, but due to increasing requests, it distributed more than 1,200! And for the first time in 17 years, since the program began in 2005, it has a wait list!
Back to school is an expensive time of year for many, and rising costs and inflation are making it more challenging for many families in our community.
Backpacks range from $25 to $50 per backpack, depending on the grade and supplies needed.
Every donation counts, and all funds will help to reduce the waitlist. Please consider donating today.
“Thank you for doing the backpack program. You have no idea how much our clients appreciate it.” – Community Works Bewdley
“I have three kids and being a single Mom on a budget is hard, especially during back to school time. My kids absolutely loved their backpack and supplies and if it wasn’t for this program I wouldn’t have been able to afford all of these items.” – Parent
from the NUW website:
“Each backpack costs $15 – $25 to produce, depending on the grade and supplies required. Products are donated and purchased from local retailers. With the mandating of school age children from grade 4 and up to wear masks, we decided to include a reusable mask along with personal hand sanitizer in 2020. This was a significant cost to include, adding more than $5 per backpack.
This year, the average cost for an elementary school child’s backpack is between $20-$40 to purchase the supplies and back packs needed to go back to school equipped to start the 2020/2021 school year, and the cost for a high school backpack went to almost $50.”
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