BACKPACK BUDDIES
Help our nonprofit donate backpacks filled with school supplies to students in need!
ABOUT US
In the spring of 2010, nine-year-old Lucia Hoerr ('loo-sha her') was shopping for extra school supplies with her mom and older sister. After Lucia spent over an hour excitedly picking out her fun new notebooks and colorful erasers, Lucia's mom mentioned that many families in their community probably couldn't afford the expensive backpacks and school supplies required for back-to-school. For the past couple of years, Lucia had been looking for ways to give back to people in her town of Charlottesville, Virginia. Unfortunately, she was too young to volunteer anywhere, and she didn't have any money of her own to donate.
When Lucia learned on that day that many of her peers don't get to experience the fun of back-to-school shopping, and that many children suffer academically and socially without the proper school supplies, Lucia knew what she needed to do. The following week, with the full (but somewhat skeptical) support of her parents and older sister, as well as lots of help from teachers and classmates, Lucia started Backpack Buddies. She never imagined what it would become...
Over the past fifteen years, Backpack Buddies has donated more than 8,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to Virginia students (preK-12th grade) in need. Backpack Buddies has grown from just 61 filled backpacks donated in 2010 to more than 1,400 donated in 2024. Backpack Buddies enlists the help of dozens of youth and adult volunteers to help raise money, collect donations, spread the word, and fill backpacks with school supplies every year. The completely packed backpacks are then distributed at the end of each summer to kids in need at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Virginia, the Charlottesville International Rescue Committee (IRC), International Neighbors, United Methodist Family Services (UMFS), ReadyKids, the Southwood Mobile Home Community, and many other various Virginia public schools and individual/group requests.
This year, Backpack Buddies hopes to provide 1,300+ local students in need with backpacks filled with school supplies! Please help us reach that goal!
DONATE
You can also use the buttons below to donate online now via Venmo or PayPal. Both are quick, easy, and secure!
Make a donation!
Donate now to help provide backpacks and school supplies to students for the 2025-26 school year!
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Monetary donations by way of cash or check can be mailed to
1615 Kenwood Lane, Charlottesville, VA 22901
Want to donate backpacks & school supplies?
We love in-kind donations! They can be shipped to or dropped off at the Charlottesville address above. Please call or email to coordinate drop-offs. See below for our school supply wish list:
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Backpacks
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3-Ring Binders
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Lined notebook paper
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Spiral notebooks
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Composition (marble) notebooks
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2-Pocket folders
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Binder tab dividers
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Pencil boxes/pouches
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Pencils
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Pens
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Erasers
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Glue sticks
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Washable markers
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Crayons
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Colored pencils
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Expo dry-erase markers
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Highlighters
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Index cards
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Rulers
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Scissors
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Earbuds/headphones
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Post-it notes
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Graphing calculators
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Hand sanitizer
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Clorox wipes
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Tissue boxes
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Ziploc bags
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Books
Email Us
Contact Info
Mailing/Shipping Address:
Backpack Buddies
1615 Kenwood Lane
Charlottesville, VA 22901
Contact us for drop-offs and volunteering address.
Email: hello@backpackbuddiesva.org
Phone Number: (855) 601-2010
Social Media Links:
