Backpack Initiative supplies students for new school year

WARREN — When a new school year begins, there are feelings of excitement and nervousness when meeting your teachers, finding your classrooms and catching up with classmates.

Families also have the task of purchasing school supplies for their children. However, because of financial hardships, many families can’t afford them.

But this year, approximately 8,000 local school children will receive the school supplies they need through the United Way of Southeastern Michigan Backpack Initiative. The United Way has partnerships with several schools, school districts and nonprofit organizations that will distribute the backpacks to students in Macomb, Oakland, Wayne and Washtenaw counties for the 2025-2026 school year.

The United Way purchased pencils, notebooks and more through $68,000 they raised in sponsorships from a number of businesses. Several volunteers from those companies gathered Aug. 12 in the Lincoln High School gymnasium for the initiative. They formed an assembly line to stuff the backpacks of various colors with folders, composition notebooks, crayons, pencils, erasers, glue sticks and scissors. There was a morning shift and an afternoon shift. Lincoln students also volunteered. Lincoln is part of the Van Dyke Public Schools district. Some supplies stayed in the district for its students.

“We so appreciate United Way’s support and partnership,” Van Dyke Public Schools Superintendent Piper Bognar said. “The opportunities they have provided for our students and district are incredibly valuable and we look forward to continuing to partner well into the future.”

Kristen Cibulskis, engagement director at United Way for Southeastern Michigan, said this year’s Backpack Initiative was done at no cost to the nonprofit organization because so many businesses made monetary donations. At press time, a total of 6,875 backpacks were to be donated. Other school supplies without backpacks were to be donated as well to provide for at least 8,000 schoolchildren in grades K-12.

“We’re trying our best to fit the needs,” Cibulskis said.

One reason some children won’t receive backpacks and only supplies is because the schools only allow for clear backpacks. When priced, Cibulskis said the clear backpacks were more expensive than the standard ones. That is something they will keep in mind for future initiatives.

The backpack donation was a three-day process. On Aug. 11, members from United Way were at Lincoln to set up tables, unpack supplies and prepare everything for packing day Aug. 12. Delivery day was Aug. 13. The Penske company donated transportation for the backpack distribution. Volunteers were scheduled to follow Penske trucks to the donation sites.