Behind the Scenes - the Forming Futures Backpacks

It was 3 ó clock on a Thursday afternoon in November 2021, students are milling around their high schools, but not the Forming Futures team, we were already on our way to package the first 200 backpacks filling them with school supplies to donate them to children the next day. We were very excited that soon many children in NYC would be receiving them.

October and November were at the same time busy and rewarding for the Forming Futures team. The 500 backpacks we ordered were finally here!

The Forming Futures backpacks arrived! All the boxes made it in perfect condition

To get to this point we first had to:

1. Find a good backpack supplier,

2. Design the backpacks,

3. Order and receive them,

4. Get all school supplies to fill the backpacks. We both got donations in kind and monetary donations to buy the school supplies

Our backpack supplier:

It wasn’t easy to find backpack suppliers and coordinate all the logistics from designing the backpacks with our logo, to shipping and delivery. You have all read about the world wide challenges with the supply chain these days. We did find a good supplier who could produce them and had a good track record, BIAB International, a reputable, Swedish Company with sound business ethics who works with many non-profits and NGOs. And yes! when the backpacks arrived, the quality was as good as they had promised! 

We quickly got to work and filled the backpacks with school supplies

Backpack contents

• 1 Notebook,

• 1 twin-pocket folder

• 1 pack of Crayola crayons (for the younger children)

• 1 dual color highlighter

• 2 pens

• 1 gel pen with a refill

• 2 pencils

• 1 eraser,

• 1 dual pencil sharpener.

• 1 personalized note in both English and Spanish regardless of the age group the backpack was for.

There were multiple tasks to complete:

• Handwriting the notes for each backpack in both Spanish and English,

• Counting and setting up the supplies on the table,

• Removing the protective seal from every backpack and piling them on one side of the room,

• Filling each backpack with the school supplies and adding the handwritten note,

• Piling the backpacks on the other side of the room while doing a quality check to make sure none are missing any items,

• Packing them in boxes.

As the hours went by, more and more beautiful backpacks piled up on the couch until at last, with no supplies to spare, 200 backpacks were ready. Watch the video to see how we do it!

School Supplies are sorted and ready for the first batch of 50 backpacks

Forming Futures backpack with school supplies

Now we were ready to deliver these beautiful new backpacks to children in NYC!!!

The following day it was Friday and we rushed out of school to go to I.S. 219 – the New Venture School – in the South Bronx in NYC to make our first backpack donation. We were welcomed by the Principal Mrs. Sabrina Cruz and personally delivered 100 backpacks.

 Read our next blog to hear all about it!

I.S. 219 Principal Mrs. Sabrina Cruz with Forming Futures team - Zoe, Allegra, Xuan, Mica, Matthew and Victoria

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‘Forming Futures’ is a loving, and strongly dedicated organization.

Our corporate donors include ‘Staples’, ‘Dude Wipes,’ ‘Smarty Pits,’ ‘The Humble Co.,’ ‘Preserve,’ ‘The Dwight School,’ and ‘Little Seed Farm.’

If you would like to learn more about ‘Forming Futures’ you can visit our website at formingfutures.org (where you can also donate, and become a donor/partner). Keep up with Forming Futures on Instagram @formingfuturesnyc, Facebook, and LinkedIn and more!