Backpack Program
Show your support and help students start the 2025/26 school year with all the supplies they need to succeed. Thanks to your support, last year over 1,800 backpacks were donated in 2025!
What supplies are most needed?
Backpacks, lunch bags, pens, pencils, rulers, math sets, markers, crayons, scientific calculators, pencil cases – these supplies are always needed. If possible, gender neutral colours encouraged and labels indicating grade on dropped off supplies – this will make sorting and distribution easier.
Monetary donations are also needed to help fill the gaps and buy supplies that may not be donated.
It is estimated that for basic supplies (a backpack, lunch bag, binders, pens, pencils, and a calculator), the cost per student ranges from $200 to $300 for school supplies. With rising costs and inflation, the need for support is high again this year.
Click the links below to donate.
JK to Grade 4
Grade 5-6
Grade 7+
Where to donate supplies
This year’s donation drive has wrapped up. Please check back for 2026 dates.
About the Backpack Program
Organized by the United Way KFL&A, working closely with agencies and businesses, the program ensures that families with children have all they need for another successful school year. In 2025:
- 1,800+ children and youth in KFL&A started the school year with school supplies and backpacks
Once supplies are collected, volunteers will start packing backpacks mid-August for distribution through agencies and schools before the new school year begins.
“For kids who struggle in life, you want to do whatever little thing you can to help them. And it might be as easy as a backpack of school supplies. It might be as easy as a lunchbox. It allows students to associate a fresh start with the new school year.”
Agency Partners
- A Great Start for Families Kahwa:tsire Ronwatiyenawe:se Centre
- Addiction & Mental Health Services – KFL&A
- Big Brothers Big Sisters KFLA
- BGC Southeast
- Elizabeth Fry Society Kingston
- Family & Children Services of Frontenac, Lennox, and Addington
- Home Base Housing – Lily’s Place Family Shelter, One Roof Youth Services, RISE@one4nine
- Kingston Community Health Centres - Pathways to Education & Early Years
- Kingston Interval House – Emergency Shelter and Robin’s Hope Transitional Housing
- Kingston Immigration Partnership
- Kingston Native Centrre & Language Nest
- Kingston Youth Shelter
- Maltby Centre
- Metis Nation of Ontario – Healthy Babies Program
- Southern Frontenac Community Services
- Youth Diversion - Intersections and Youth Justice programs
- ISKA Immigration Services Kingston
- Salvation Army, Napanee
Individuals looking for supplies are asked to register with one of the agencies above or contact their school principal or board office (Note: this only applies for Limestone District School Board and Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic District School Board students).
Corporate Sponsors
