Through Operation Backpack, NYC Council Funds Backpacks and School Supplies for Thousands of Students Experiencing Housing Insecurity

$250,000 will go towards long-running initiative supporting tens of thousands of children nationwide

City Hall, NY - Today, during the first week of the 2025-26 School Year for New York City Public Schools, the New York City Council celebrated the allocation of $250,000 in the City's Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget for Operation Backpack, a Volunteers of America initiative providing students experiencing homelessness and poverty with backpacks, classroom school supplies, and other resources to support their education. First launched in New York City over two decades ago, the program has expanded to more than 20 states and hundreds of localities. In New York City, Volunteers of America-Greater New York provides the majority of backpacks and school supplies for students in shelter.

In 2024, Operation Backpack distributed over 45,000 backpacks to children across the nation, 19,000 of which were given to New York City students. In the 2023-2024 School Year, more than 146,000 children experienced homelessness, with the most students attending schools in parts of the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn.

"Every child deserves to walk into their first day of school with the supplies they need to succeed," said Speaker Adrienne Adams. "The Council is proud to support Operation Backpack, which helps ensure low-income and unhoused students are not left behind. Providing students with backpacks and other school supplies empowers them to focus on learning and charting their educational journey with confidence. We thank Volunteers of America for their partnership, and we will continue to invest in the future and success of every New York City student."

"Operation Backpack has been a lifeline for families in need for more than 20 years, and its impact is felt across our neighborhoods," said Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala, Chair of the Committee on General Welfare. "I'm thrilled that with the Council's $250,000 investment in this year's city budget, this crucial program can continue to help meet the basic needs of our most vulnerable students and support their academic success. I thank Volunteers of America for their invaluable work to help ensure all children, regardless of their circumstance, can start off the school year with confidence."

"As Chair of the Education Committee and a lifelong advocate for our students, I believe that no child should have to worry about whether they'll have the basic supplies they need to succeed in school," said Council Member Rita Joseph, Chair of the Committee on Education. "This funding is about more than backpacks, it's about restoring dignity, equity, and ensuring that every child, regardless of their housing situation or family's income, can walk into the classroom ready to learn."

"All students deserve to start school on a level playing field with their peers and VOA-GNY is proud of its role in making that happen for children experiencing homelessness" said Jeffrey Ginsburg, President & CEO of Volunteers of America-Greater New York. "This year through Operation Backpack®, we were able to distribute more backpacks and school supplies to students living in shelter than ever before thanks to the generosity of our partners including the New York City Council with unwavering leadership from Speaker Adrienne Adams, Majority Leader Amanda Farias, and Education Committee Chair Rita Joseph. With this robust support, every student in a NYC Department of Homeless Services shelter who needed one received a backpack in advance of their first day, helping them avoid the stigma of homelessness and start the school year off right."

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