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$25 packs one backpack.

Programs

Distributions, company packings, and chapters.

Every program ends the same way: a backpack of essentials in someone's hands.

The back of a car packed full of colorful backpacks ready for delivery.

Core program

Backpack distributions.

We pack backpacks with food, hygiene supplies, and clothing, then hand them out in person.

We deliver to encampments and shelters, and through partners who work with people experiencing homelessness every day. At each distribution we share information on local services, so a backpack can lead to a next step.

In 2023 we distributed $62,692 in supplies (GuideStar).

Fund a backpack
Durham chapter volunteers hand out supplies on distribution day.

For companies

Bring a packing event to your office.

Your team packs backpacks in your office. We bring the supplies, set up, and deliver the bags.

  • Cost: $25 sponsors one backpack (about $65 in retail value, bought wholesale)
  • Time: 60 to 90 minutes
  • Size: 30+ items per bag. Most groups pack 50 to 200 bags.
  • Minimum: about 40 backpacks ($1,000) so the logistics work
  • Fees: sponsorship buys supplies only. No event fee.
Request a packing

We handle

Supplies, bought wholesale. Transport, setup, and cleanup. A short briefing on homelessness in Atlanta. Delivery to shelters and encampments, then a report back.

You provide

A space, like a conference room or lobby. Your team.

Get started

1. Pick a goal. 50 backpacks is $1,250. 2. Pick a date. 3. We bring the supplies and run the packing.

Partners

Teams we have packed with.

Where the backpacks go in Atlanta.

What's in a bag

30+ items in four groups.

Contents change with the season. Pick a group to see what goes in. The photo is supplies staged before packing at Homeless Heroes Day 2025, not a full inventory.

Granola bars, vitamin C packets, and trail mix staged on a packing table at Homeless Heroes Day 2025.
  • Granola bars
  • Trail mix
  • Meat snacks
  • Shelf-stable snacks
  • Vitamin C drink packets
  • Bottled water

High-protein food and things that keep. Water goes out at every distribution.

  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste
  • Soap
  • Wipes
  • Deodorant
  • Lip balm
  • Band-aids
  • Menstrual kit
  • Bug spray

Menstrual kits and bug spray go in when people ask for them, as the Athens chapter does.

  • Heavy socks
  • Beanie
  • Gloves
  • Hand warmers
  • Poncho
  • Scarf (winter)

Socks are the most requested item. Winter bags add a scarf.

  • Local services card

Information on local shelters and services that can help next. Every packing looks a little different, so contents vary by chapter and season.

Nov20Fri, 2026

9th annual

Homeless Heroes Day.

Our biggest day of the year. 1,500+ backpacks packed at Westside Warehouse, Atlanta.

Event details
Hands pass bottled water and food from a cooler during an Athens meal distribution.

Athens, GA

Hot meals and water, every week.

Our Athens chapter brings hot meals and fresh water to people living in encampments, alongside regular backpack distributions. The team also speaks up for encampment residents with local community groups and government.

Athens chapter

Chapter support

The national team supports every chapter.

The Backpack Project, Inc. funds and supports distributions at every chapter. Chapters get legal and tax help, insurance, accounting, the TBP name, training and fundraising materials, monthly check-ins, and funding to cover what they cannot raise.

See chaptersStart a chapter
Chapter volunteers in green polos gather outside before a distribution.

Donate

$25 fills one backpack with essentials.

Or bring a packing to your office.

Donate $25Book a corporate packing