United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
Backpack Coalition, which has been led by United Way since 2014, is committed to providing backpacks and school supplies to students with financial constraints, helping ensure they succeed in school. Each year the coalition distributes thousands of backpacks with grade appropriate school supplies to students in grades K-12.
Thank you to our community for their past support of the Backpack Coalition. In 2021, we distributed over 5,000 brand new backpacks filled with school supplies to children across our community, from students in Milwaukee Community Schools to those living and learning in Waukesha County.
Here are just a few of the ways each donation altogether made a difference:
As the 2022-23 school year approaches, we are proud to once again ensure thousands of local students start the year off right. We hope you'll join us again this year in supporting the Backpack Coalition.
Donate
Donate by clicking the button below!
Or to donate via check, mail to:
United Way Pledge Processing PO Box 88988 Milwaukee, WI 53288-8988
Payable to: United Way Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County NOTE: Please add to your check memo line, "Backpack Coalition Restricted Fund"
Hosting a supply drive is fun, plus we help make it easy.
Get Started Here!
Download the Backpack Coalition Drive Toolkit that includes a flyer, progress sheet, and more.
Contact Lori Hayes at 414.837.3639 or email to learn more about running a backpack supply collection drive.
Join our efforts and deliver new school supplies to any of the following community sites:
United Way Sites (Mon-Thu 9:00pm-3:00pm, Fri 9:00am-12:00pm) Milwaukee Office: 225 West Vine Street Waukesha Office: 2717 N Grandview Blvd, Suite 102
Special Event - Fill the Bus - Saturday, July 16, 2022 (9:00am - 3:00pm) Walmart Supercenter - Waukesha: 2000 S West Ave Walmart Supercenter - New Berlin: 15205 W Greenfield Ave
The Backpack Coalition provides school supplies for students in:
For all other requests, please contact the free IMPACT 211 service (1.866.211.3380).
These organiziations supported Backpack Coalition with either a $500+ in-kind or financial donation.
Baird Best Buy Superstore 757 Briohn Building Corp CH Coakley Circa InfoSoft Group
Costco – Pewaukee Erie Insurance Extension, Inc. First United Methodist Church HSA Bank
Humana, Inc. Johnson Controls Landmark Credit Union Markel American Insurance Co. ProHealth
Waukesha State Bank We Energies Zimmerman Architectural Studios, Inc. Zurn Industries
Numbers indicate how many students were served through Backpack Coalition annually.
Aurora Health Care, Child & Family Centers of Excellence, Food Pantry of Waukesha County, Germantown School District, Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast, Milwaukee Area Labor Council AFL-CIO, Mukwonago Area School District, Mukwonago Food Pantry, Muskego Food Pantry, Oconomowoc Food Pantry, Pewaukee Food Pantry, School District of Waukesha, The Waukesha Salvation Army, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, Waukesha County Health and Human Services, Waukesha County UW-Extension
Contact Lori Hayes at 414.837.3639 or email.