📚 School supplies = learning. Pencils, notebooks, and backpacks help kids stay engaged and ready to learn.
🚫 Without them, kids fall behind. Missing essentials means missed assignments, lost confidence, and unnecessary stress.
😔 No supplies, no confidence. Students without the basics often feel embarrassed, ashamed, and unmotivated.
🎯 It’s about success. Supplying students with their needs helps level the playing field for every child.
🙌 Make a lasting memory. Thanks to the Detroit Zoo, all backpacks will come with free tickets (2) to the Detroit Zoo, which are good for up to a year.
Have a child in need of a backpack?
Click the button below to fill out an application. While we hope to help as many children as possible, submitting an application does not guarantee a backpack, as the number we can provide depends on the generosity of our community.
NOTE: All backpacks MUST be picked up at our Backpacks for You with the Detroit Zoo event on August 13, 2025 located at 8450 West 10 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067. Registrations must be submitted by the legal guardian of each child, and only for children currently living in their household. Group registrations are not eligible through this form. If you are registering on behalf of a group, please email us at opbk@voami.org.
Hear about how this program’s significant impact helped students and their families last year.
There are many ways that you, family, friends, and colleagues can participate in Operation Backpack®and help a child in need:
Purchase Supplies
Shop at Our Online Store
Purchase items from our supply list on your own and drop them off at any of our six thrift stores or the VOAMI Southfield office at 21700 Northwestern Hwy, Suite 700, Southfield, MI 48075. Drop-offs will take place July 7-18, 2025.
We partner with Roongaâ„¢ to make shopping convenient. You can purchase grade-specific supply kits or pre-filled backpacks. The items purchased through this storefront will shipped directly to us at our office in time for the first day of school.
All supplies must be dropped off at one of our 6 thrift stores, our Southfield location or mailed directly to the office.
DONATE
Can’t participate? Consider donating! Your support and monetary donations are critical in changing the lives of our most vulnerable students across the state. You have the power to make our world a better place and give at-risk and homeless students a chance.
BECOME A SPONSOR
You have the chance to make a difference and be a part of something bigger! By sponsoring Operation Backpack® you provide support for VOAMI to make it happen. Don’t miss our Backpack Buddy sponsor opportunity for children to help support their peers!
VOLUNTEER
You can personally sort and pack backpacks, and even write notes of encouragement to set children up for success. Operation Backpack® relies on the kindness of individuals just like you to make the biggest impact possible. Volunteer week this year is July 21-August 1.
START A DRIVE
You can organize
a local drive and
invite your friends
and colleagues to
participate by donating
school supplies and
backpacks using our
supply lists as a guide.
Want to save some
time? You can also
purchase supply kits
on our online.
Backpacks for You with the Detroit Zoo and Volunteers of America Michigan
As part of this year’s backpack pick-up, we’re thrilled to host a special event at the Detroit Zoo on August 13, 2025, located at 8450 West 10 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067.
Thanks to a partnership with the Detroit Zoo, backpack recipients will not only receive their backpacks full of supplies but also enjoy a wild day exploring the Zoo and all its amazing animals! Each backpack will include two complimentary Zoo tickets, one generously donated by the Detroit Zoo and the other provided by Volunteers of America Michigan. Tickets can be used on the day of the event or any time within one year of August 13, 2025.
We can’t wait to see you there and a heartfelt thank you to the Detroit Zoo for making this experience possible for the kids!
Want to learn more?
Phone: (248) 791-5105 ext. 1158 • opbk@voami.org