As Families Face Rising Back-to-School Costs, The Children's Village Launches Annual Backpack Drive

As summer begins, many families across New York are already looking ahead to September and the costs of a new school year. To help ensure every child starts school prepared to learn, The Children's Village (CV) has launched its 2026 Annual Backpack Drive, aiming to fill over 2,000 backpacks with essential school supplies.

Thanks to last year’s generous donations, CV distributed more than 2,000 backpacks to children and teens participating in its residential, behavioral health, education, and community-based programs. This year, the organization is once again calling on people, schools, businesses, and community groups to help meet the growing need.

“One of the most rewarding parts of this campaign is seeing the excitement on children's faces as they receive their new backpacks for the first day of school,” said Leydi Rodriguez, Director of Community Engagement at The Children’s Village. “For many families, these supplies help ease the costs of back-to-school shopping while giving young people the confidence to begin the year feeling prepared and supported. We're grateful to every donor, volunteer, and community partner who helps make that possible."

The campaign offers multiple ways for people to get involved and directly impact the lives of children and families:

• Shop on CV’s Amazon Registry: Visit CV’s page at https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/122RH3XUOVTPH to purchase school supplies directly, making it easy and convenient to support the cause.
• Make a Financial Donation: Generous financial contributions go a long way in providing essential school supplies. Visit CV’s donation page at https://childrensvillage.org/school-supply-drive/ to learn more and donate. Choose from various donation options, including:
  • $50.00: Provides 1 backpack filled with grade-appropriate school supplies
  • $100.00: Provides a set of 10 unfilled backpacks
  • $175.00: Provides a set of 5 backpacks fully stocked with school supplies
  • $250.00: Provides a set of 10 backpacks fully stocked with school supplies
• Host a Supply Drive: Rally friends, family, or coworkers to join the cause by hosting a supply drive. CV will provide support every step of the way to ensure a drive is successful.

CV is requesting contributions by August 19th to ensure all items are delivered in time for the upcoming school year. Together, we can ensure every student starts the school year ready to learn, grow, and achieve their dreams.

The Children’s Village (CV) is committed to the wellbeing of children, teens, and families by advocating for, strengthening, and reuniting families; building community partnerships; creating innovative programs; and connecting people to resources that focus on basic needs and human rights. Learn more at http://www.childrensvillage.org.