Thousands of Students Across the U.S. Go Back(pack) to School, Ready to Learn through Long-Serving GSF Foundation Program
Supporting academic readiness for elementary students, the GSF Foundation (GSFF) helped 15,300 children begin the school year prepared and ready to learn through its Back(pack) to School program. Each student receives a backpack filled with essential school supplies, helping remove a financial barrier for families. Since 2002, the program has provided more than 229,000 backpack kits, helping kids confidently participate in classroom activities and complete homework assignments from day one.
In the months leading up to the first day of school, 27 GSFF committees funded, packed, and distributed backpack donations to students in their local communities. Throughout Golden State Foods (GSF), Quality Custom Distribution (QCD) and KanPak, many associate-led committees made a big backpack impact this year, including KanPak New York donating 1,400 backpacks, GSF City of Industry (1,000 backpacks) and QCD Frisco (832 backpacks).
“Every event brings memorable moments, but one that stands out involved a student who asked if we had any green backpacks available,” Hamilton Vahrenkamp, QCD Frisco volunteer. “I could tell green was his favorite color because he was wearing a solid green shirt and matching green pants. When I handed him a green backpack, his eyes lit up, and he gave one of the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen. Seeing that level of excitement and appreciation was incredibly gratifying, and it’s a moment that has stayed with me ever since.”
Members of the GSF Foundation signature business partner community, Partnership For Good, helped expand the program’s reach this year. By supporting local GSFF events and implementing the program in their own communities. One such partner, Morning Star, marked its 18th year partnering with the GSF Foundation by donating 450 kits to first-graders in in California's Central Valley. A local news story about the donation quoted Hans Younce of Morning Star, who said:
“Two out of three of our processing facilities are located here in Los Banos and it is important that we support the community that is home to us. We also have a lot of colleagues who have children that attend these schools as well. It’s always such a rewarding experience to see the kids so excited to get to pick which color of backpack they want, and the excitement when they realize the backpack is full of goodies.”
