Operation Backpack Recap

Janelle Mora, CA DCSS

San Mateo County DCSS participated in a backpack drive to help support the Children’s Fund Backpack for Kids, a local program helping children on assistance. Staff donated a total of $150 towards purchasing supplies on the Children’s Fund Amazon wish list. Supplies donated on July 6th included: 7 backpacks, 12 notebooks, multiple packs of subject folders, and scissors. The San Mateo office nominated families receiving assistance to the Children’s Fund Backpacks for Kids program.



San Mateo 7/6

Sonoma County backpacks and staff Sonoma County DCSS distributed 150 backpacks, along with other school essentials like notebooks, pencils, crayons, scissors, and glue sticks to kids participating in the child support program, ages 5 to 12. Pick-up events occurred July 19th & 26th.

Sonoma 7/16 & 7/26

Monterey County DCSS participated in a countywide campaign, partnering with United Way. At United Way’s “Stuff the Bus” drive, there were 3,335 fully-stuffed backpacks assembled for homeless students in the community, all thanks to the collective efforts of departments across Monterey County.

Monterey 7/28

On July 31st, California DCSS participated in Volunteers of America’s “Operation Backpack” for the second year in a row. This school supply drive helps Sacramento-area students in need. CA DCSS raised approximately $750 and donated 60 full backpacks, beating last year’s total backpack donations.

CA DCSS 7/31

Napa County DCSS donated 2 backpacks filled with school supplies for a drawing held at their Child Support Awareness Month Community Resource Fair on August 1st. Parents placed tickets in for the drawing and at the end of the event, two winners were chosen.

Napa 8/1

Ventura County DCSS partnered with the James Storehouse Organization to collect school supplies and backpacks for children currently in foster care. On August 3rd, Ventura DCSS staff donated 29 backpacks, 62 notebooks, almost 100 glue sticks, hundreds of pencils, three lunchboxes, and several other back-to-school essentials.

Ventura 8/3

Placer County DCSS hosted a Backpack Giveaway for children in their local child support program. It was their biggest school supply giveaway yet, receiving over 400 items! The supplies were donated by child support staff and several local businesses, resulting in 26 backpacks filled with a binder, notepad, pencils, pens, colored pencils/markers/crayons, glue, erase, and water bottle.

Placer 8/4

San Joaquin County DCSS staff donated and raffled off 128 backpacks and over 1,200 school supplies at their 2nd Annual Block Party held August 4th with almost 400 people in attendance. As kids entered, they were given a raffle ticket. Throughout the day, tickets were drawn and kids picked out their backpack of choice, separated by grade level. Items included in the backpacks were notebooks, folders, pencils/pens, calculators, and more!

San Joaquin 8/4

Riverside County DCSS handed out school supplies to more than 100 children in their “Setting A Child Up for Success” school supply drive, with the collective efforts of all three offices: Riverside, Indio, and Blythe. Beginning August 7th, Riverside DCSS gave away backpacks to each child who visited their office. Additionally, children who attended Riverside DCSS’s Annual Child Support Open House and Resource Fair on August 19th received school supplies. The remaining supplies were donated to local foster care agencies.

Riverside 8/7

Sutter County DCSS asked the community for donations for their “Back2School Backpack Giveaway.” A total of 62 filled backpacks were distributed to Sutter County families in need with support cases ranging from 1st to 12th grade. Supplies were picked up from their office from August 7th-11th. Supplies also went to Casa De Esparanza, school bus drivers, Yuba City School District, and Yuba City Board of Education.

Sutter 8/7 - 8/11 

Contra Costa County DCSS held three office fundraisers to benefit their first ever “Backpacks for Kids” drive. The “High Tea Bake Sale,” “Silent Auction,” and “Tea Party Hat Parade” helped raise $488 to purchase backpacks and school supplies. DCSS employees, their friends, nearby county offices, and vendors like Target also donated school supplies for the drive. Additionally, Contra Costa County Library donated new books to go along with the backpacks, which also came with library card applications. On August 9th, 30 kids were chosen to receive filled backpacks. Pictured is Chris Mims, a winner of a the “Backpacks for Kids” drive, holding a book donated by the Contra Costa County Library wearing the backpack he received.

Contra Costa 8/9

Plumas County DCSS raffled off a backpack full of school supplies each day they attended the Plumas Sierra County Fair on August 10th – 12th. Almost 250 kids entered the raffle, with students ranging from first to eleventh grade.



Plumas 8/10 - 8/12

Santa Barbara DCSS gathered donations from child support offices in both Santa Barbara and Santa Maria for United Way’s “Stuff the Bus” school supply drive. More than a couple hundred supplies were donated on August 14th.

Santa Barbara 8/14