Nonprofit gives school supplies to 3,500 students

Sacred Heart Community Service said this week it is preparing backpacks and school supplies for 3,500 students in San Jose ahead of the new school year. The San Jose nonprofit said the effort is aimed at families squeezed by high housing and household costs and by school disruptions that can make daily commutes longer for children. The program, called Pack A Back, is part of Sacred Heart’s broader poverty-relief work, which includes food aid, family support and housing assistance. San José Spotlight reported the effort on July 8. ### Which nonprofit is running the giveaway, and how large is it? Sacred Heart Community Service is running the campaign through its Pack A Back program, according to the organization’s website. The nonprofit said its 2026 goal is to collect 4,000 backpacks and school supplies, while the current distribution effort highlighted this week is expected to reach 3,500 students in San Jose. (sanjosespotlight.com) San Jose-based Sacred Heart describes its mission as building “a community free from poverty” through direct services, organizing and advocacy. The organization said it provides essential services and works with families on broader economic stability issues as well as immediate needs. ### Why are backpacks a pressure point for families? A backpack can cost about $75 before the rest of a school supply list is added, Sacred Heart said on its campaign page. (sacredheartcs.org) The organization said budgets already stretched by food, housing and household stability often leave nothing for back-to-school purchases. San José Spotlight reported that the program is also being framed around inequity in Santa Clara County and the strain on families trying to make ends meet. (sacredheartcs.org) A cached summary of the report identified Vivian Le, Sacred Heart’s director of community development, as saying backpacks are a necessity as school closures force some students to walk farther. ### How does this connect to homelessness and student instability? (sacredheartcs.org) San José Spotlight said the giveaway is intended in part to reach students affected by housing insecurity and homelessness. California’s Department of Education maintains statewide homeless children and youth data reports, underscoring that student homelessness is tracked as a distinct education issue across the state. (sanjosespotlight.com) Santa Clara County’s Office of Supportive Housing also maintains homelessness census and system performance reports, which local agencies use to measure the scale of need. Sacred Heart’s campaign page links the backpack drive to what it called a weakened social safety net and to recent school closures in San Jose that have disrupted neighborhoods. ### What does the program say about conditions in San Jose? (sanjosespotlight.com) Recent school closures in San Jose have disrupted neighborhood routines, Sacred Heart said in its Pack A Back appeal. The nonprofit said that for families “already walking a tightrope,” losing local school connections can make basic needs harder to manage. San José Spotlight described the backpack effort as one response to widening inequality in Santa Clara County. (osh.santaclaracounty.gov) Sacred Heart itself said the campaign is meant to ensure students have the tools they need to start school with what it called dignity and readiness. ### Are city youth programs part of the backdrop here? The City of San José says its San José Works program, launched in 2015 with work2future and the Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force, has served more than 5,000 youth to date. (sacredheartcs.org) City budget materials for 2025-2026 also include youth-focused items such as Youth Commission priorities and a Youth Empowerment Alliance resource allocation plan. (sanjosespotlight.com) Those city efforts are separate from Sacred Heart’s backpack drive, but they show the broader network of youth services operating in San Jose as the school year approaches. That connection was part of how organizers and local coverage positioned the giveaway this week. ### What happens next for families and donors? Sacred Heart said donations, supply drives and volunteer help are still being sought through the 2026 Pack A Back campaign. (sanjoseca.gov) The nonprofit directs supporters to its Donation Station at 1381 South First Street in San Jose and says checks can be mailed there with “Pack A Back” in the memo line. Demone Carter, Sacred Heart’s director of communications, is listed as the media contact for the campaign. (sanjosespotlight.com) Sacred Heart said its next step is continuing to collect backpacks and supplies so students have them in time for the start of the school year. (sacredheartcs.org)