Backpacks collected in New York City for Operation Backpack in New York CIty. Credit: Getty Imagesn
New York City’s homeless children may soon have one less thing to worry about: school supplies.
Volunteers for America launched its annual charity drive on Wednesday named ‘Operation Backpack’ to provide backpacks and requisite grade-specific supplies to nearly 22,000 homeless children in New York City shelters.
The drive, which started in 2001, filled and distributed 16,100 backpacks last year to children in more than 170 shelters. This year, the organization hopes to reach 16,500 new children by the end of the drive on August 8.
“We need to do everything we can to ensure the children in our care stay in school and earn a high school diploma, which is essential to breaking the cycle of family homelessness,” said Claire Altman, president and CEO of Volunteers for America-Greater New York.
You can donate new backpacks and supplies at any Duane Reade store in the city. For a list of supplies visit www.OperationBackpackNYC.org/fill
