As summer winds down and children across the country head back to the classroom, GSF Foundation (GSFF) volunteers have stepped up, donating more than 15,000 backpacks to first-grade students in the communities where associates live and work. This year, the Foundation increased its annual donations by 590 backpacks to local schools and nonprofits, with 30 committees participating.
“Our local teams really stepped up this year, hitting a record participation of 30 GSFF committees—just over a 90 percent participation rate,” said Vanessa Hugon Badal, Senior Director, Operations and Programs, GSFF. “For some students, these donations mark their first-ever backpack. Not only do we reach new communities, but we also reach new families who need our support, helping alleviate some of the financial burden that accompanies the back-to-school season.”
The KanPak New York GSFF team led the charge with the largest Back(pack) to School program, donating over 1,500 backpacks. In California, Golden State Foods (GSF) City of Industry followed closely with over 1,000 donations, even hosting a backpack-stuffing BBQ to encourage more associates to volunteer. Other standout contributors included GSF Irvine, California, with more than 900 backpacks, and Opelika, Alabama, which surpassed last year’s record with over 880 donated.
In addition to these top performers, other committees participating in the 2024 Back(pack) to School program included GSF’s Centralized Leasing Corp. (St. Louis, Missouri); KanPak Kansas; GSF Burleson, Texas; GSF Conyers, Georgia; and 23 Quality Custom Distribution teams from around the U.S., including Albuquerque, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago East, Chicago West, Dallas, Denver, Fontana, Frisco, Honolulu, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake, San Antonio, Seattle, Spokane, Suffolk, and Washington, D.C.
Furthermore, GSF business partners like Craftsmen Utility Trailer, Morning Star, and Taylor Farms came together with GSFF teams to support this year’s community backpack programs.
Each student receives not just a backpack, but also essential school supplies—items their families might struggle to afford—along with the confidence needed to start the school year off right. Some committees even include handwritten notes, letting students know that GSFF volunteers genuinely care about them. Since the program’s inception in 2002, committees have donated nearly 200,000 backpacks across the U.S., a legacy set to continue for years to come.