Join Us for Stuff the Backpack and Help Local Students Succeed | United Way of Central Ohio

Do you remember the thrill of buying and having new school supplies and a new backpack to put them in? Those new pencils, notebooks and folders helped you feel confident, prepared and READY to start school. Join us to make sure every local student starts school with that same feeling — excited and ready to learn!

United Way of Central Ohio, NBC4 and Josh Williams of the Columbus Crew are joining forces again this year to Stuff the Backpack for 70,000 students in Franklin and Licking counties! Now in its sixth year, Stuff the Backpack has provided over 180,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade with the essential school supplies they need to start the school year strong.

Last year, the average cost increase for school supplies went up 25%. That significant increase, along with price increases for food, housing and utilities, means many local families will find it even more difficult to fit new backpacks or supplies into their budgets this year.

It’s so easy for you, and means so much to local students and their teachers! When you give just $10, less than it costs to eat lunch out, you provide a new backpack filled with essential school supplies for a local student. It’s more than just a backpack. It helps a student feel prepared, confident and ready to participate on the first day of school.

Help us celebrate our centennial by helping central Ohio students! This year, as United Way of Central Ohio celebrates 100 years of impact, we encourage you to donate $100 to stuff 10 backpacks. Every donor who donates $100 or over will receive a fun United Way Centennial Activity Book created by three local sisters and will be entered into a drawing to win great prizes. Donations can be made through Parichute, our giving platform partner!

Want to do even more? You can give AND join us and Josh Williams of the Columbus Crew on Thursday, Aug. 10 to help us stuff 1,000 backpacks! We need at least 300 volunteers to help us reach our goal. Don’t miss out on the food, fun and prizes. Learn more and register today. Stuffed backpacks will be distributed to local students at a later date by NBC4, not at the Stuff the Backpack volunteer event.

Thank you to our centennial event partners and sponsors: 

Big Lots | Columbus Crew | Cardinal Health | Donatos Pizza | EASE Logistics | Encova | Fifth Third Bank | Grange Insurance | Hexion | Medical Mutual | NBC4 | Osteopathic Heritage Foundation | Parichute | Under Armour