The new school year will be here before we know it, and our annual Back to School Supply Drive is in full swing!

This year, we aim to distribute 700+ backpacks full of supplies to students around the region — and we need your help! By donating individual supplies or packing a full backpack ready to distribute, you can help ensure local students have a great start to their school year.

There are three ways you can help:

1. Shop using our  Amazon Wishlist, which will automatically deliver items to A Wider Circle.
   
   
2. Purchase and drop off or ship items to A Wider Circle’s Center for Community Service
3.  Shipping
   Purchased items should be addressed as follows:
   A Wider Circle
   Attention: Backpack Program
   9159 Brookville Road
   Silver Spring, MD 20910
   
   
4. Drop-Off
   Purchased items can be dropped of Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 9:00am-5:00pm at our Center for Community Service at 9159 Brookville Road in Silver Spring.
   
   When dropping off your donation, please bring it to our front desk rather than the main drop-off area and indicate that it is for the Backpack Program.
   
   
5. Sign up here to purchase items and assemble one or more complete backpacks that can go directly to a student.

Our wishlist below outlines the items needed for all backpacks, plus additional items needed by grade-level.

Please donate items by August 5 to allow for time to distribute them throughout the community.

Together, we can ensure local students have a great start to their school year!

Questions? Please email volunteer@awidercircle.org.

Items needed for all backpacks:

• 1 backpack
• 1 pencil case/pouch
• 1 pack thin parkers or colored pencils
• 1 composition book
• 1-2 spiral bound notebooks
• 1 ruler with inches and centimeters
• 1 pink eraser

• 1 pair of safety scissors
• 2 glue sticks
• 2 pocket folders
• 6 pens
• 6 wooden pencils
• Optional: Basic, scientific, or graphing calculator

Some local school districts are requiring middle and high school students to carry clear backpacks this year, so donations of these may be helpful. However, we welcome donations of backpacks of all colors and styles!