As summer brings longer days and brighter skies, many families are also preparing for the return to school—a season full of excitement, but also real challenges, especially for those navigating economic hardship. For families balancing tight budgets, the added cost of school supplies can become one more strain.

At Safe & Sound, we believe every child deserves to start the school year with the tools they need to thrive. There’s still time to make a difference—join us in our Back-to-School Drive to help 250 children start the year strong and ready to learn.

Families who partner with Safe & Sound are working hard to build stability and create brighter futures. Nearly all are low-income, and many are managing additional challenges, such as housing insecurity or healing from past trauma. A backpack filled with new school supplies may seem small—but for a child, it can be a powerful source of pride, motivation, and joy.

Safe & Sound supports 900–1,000 families annually with wraparound services that address the root causes of child abuse and neglect. Providing concrete supports—like school supplies—not only relieves financial stress for parents but increases resilience, and helps families focus on what matters most: their children’s success.

A backpack is more than a school item for kids—it symbolizes belonging, confidence, and possibility. Imagine the joy in a child’s eyes as they walk into school with a brand-new backpack, filled with everything they need to learn, grow, and connect with friends. It’s a fresh start, free from worrying about showing up unprepared or left behind.

Our Back-to-School Drive ensures that each child receives a backpack filled with essential supplies—from notebooks to pencils, and everything in between. Your support helps create a strong start to the academic year, especially for families navigating financial hardships.

This year, Safe & Sound aims to support 250 children with fully stocked backpacks, and we can’t do it without you.

You can help in three easy ways:

• Make a monetary donation
  Help us purchase the school supplies a child needs
  
• Shop from our Amazon WishList
  Purchase supplies directly from our Amazon Wishlist and ship it to us.
  
• Lead a Back-to-School Drive Today!
  Want to multiply your impact? Organize a Backpack Drive with your workplace, school, neighborhood, or group of friends. It’s simple, easy, and fun—and we’ll provide everything you need to get started.
  Here’s how:
  Step 1: Let us know you’re interested—email us at donations@safeandsound.org.
  Step 2: We’ll send you a toolkit with flyers and checklists.
  Step 3: Collect new backpacks and school supplies.
  Step 4: Drop them off at Safe & Sound.

Every gift—no matter the size—makes a direct and meaningful impact.

Together, we can ensure that more children enter the school year feeling ready, excited, and supported—and that their parents feel just a little more hopeful about the future. Thank you for being a part of our mission to prevent child abuse, neglect, and trauma, and to create a future where all children are safe, supported, and loved.

Let’s fill 250 backpacks—and 250 hearts—with joy and possibility.

When I first came to Safe & Sound, I felt overwhelmed as the sole provider for my family, caring for three children and my wife, who requires extra support. Safe & Sound provided me with the support I needed while my kids participated in fun activities in their playroom. I enrolled in the Integrated Family Services and, with the support of my care coordinator, set goals for my family. Safe & Sound provided parenting classes and helped me focus on individual therapy, giving me the tools to make my family stronger and become an active father. After two years, we were in a much happier place when we finished the program.

I’m thrilled to share that today, I work full-time as a school bus driver and earn enough to support my family! My son graduates high school in the next two years, and I’m excited that the Safe & Sound team is already thinking about how to help him achieve his educational goals. I know that with their support and mine he will go on to achieve great things.

Thanks to your generous support, Safe & Sound has been able to provide vital services to families like mine. In 2023, more than 16,000 children and caregivers were served through Safe & Sound programs and supportive services.

Today, I want to ask you to spread holiday joy by making a contribution to Safe & SoundYour kindness gives us the assurance that Safe & Sound will be there to lend a helping hand when we are facing life’s biggest challenges, empowering us to dream and work towards a better future.

Safe & Sound has been a reliable place for parenting support, but it also felt safe, caring, and compassionate, which helped strengthen my family during tough times. Every family that walks through the doors has their own struggles, but it’s possible to turn things around. Safe & Sound creates a unique connection with each family and being participant-centered and participant-led allows families to access the services that will best support them. Whether it’s immediate assistance to help meet basic food and household needs, help with parenting skills, a caring voice at the other end of their 24/7 parental stress call-in line, or individuals to share your challenges and hopes with either one-on-one or with a group of other parents, Safe & Sound knows how to help families thrive.

Your gift as a Safe & Sound community member wraps all of this support around every family that comes to Safe & Sound with hope of a better future for themselves and their children. I know this incredible resource for families is possible because of the contributions made by people like you and, for this, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart, for partnering with Safe & Sound mission to prevent and reduce the impact of childhood abuse, neglect and trauma.

Happy Holidays,

Ramon E. Rivera
Parent & a Client of Safe & Sound

Last year, just before the school year started, Mia’s family joined us at our Community Night Dinner. Mia’s family had been going through a tough time, and her mother, with tears in her eyes, confided that she couldn’t afford new school supplies for Mia. Safe & Sound jumped into action and provided Mia with a new backpack filled with all the essentials, and her face lit up with pure joy. She hugged the backpack tightly, like a treasure chest, and said, “Now I can go to school like everyone else.” For Mia and her family, that backpack was more than just supplies—it was hope, and a chance to start the school year on equal footing with her peers.

As we enjoy the beautiful start of summer, you can help Safe & Sound prepare for our annual Back-to-School drive for the upcoming school year. We are determined to support all the children and families we serve, especially those in vulnerable situations. The anticipation of a new school year, filled with learnings and friendships, often comes with significant stress for some families. Rising costs, financial constraints, and emotional strains make it difficult for many parents to afford essential school supplies for their children.

Imagine the joy of starting a new school year with a brand new backpack and new supplies, or the excitement in a child’s eyes on the first day back seeing friends. Our annual Back-to-School Drive provides all the essential items that a kid would need – a backpack with school supplies. This drive brings joy to nearly 250 kids each year, helping them start the school year with confidence and excitement.

Your generous donation allows us to purchase the school items that a child would need to attend a school. You can also donate by buying supplies directly from our Amazon wish list! Your support will bring smiles and hope to so many children in our community.

Your help is vital to our mission of ensuring families have access to the resources they need for a strong start to the school year. By reducing the financial burden and stress on parents, we can work together to prevent child abuse, neglect, and trauma, paving the way for a successful academic year. Thank you for considering partnering with us on this essential campaign.