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Annual Backpack Program

Each year WFCM collects backpacks for the elementary, middle and high schools located in our service area. These new backpacks are provided at no cost to students receiving free or reduced cost lunches.

WFCM is partnering with Collect for Kids in a county-wide effort to ensure the neediest children in our community receive the backpacks and supplies they need to succeed in school. The program is made possible through a partnership with Kids R First, Fairfax County Public Schools and the Fairfax County Office of Public and Private Partnerships. WFCM works with churches and businesses in the Fairfax County area to provide backpacks and supplies in a cost-effective and efficient way.

WFCM collects new backpacks from July through mid-August. Backpacks are delivered to WFCM's office by mid-August, as we provide schools with backpacks just prior to the official start of each school year. Backpacks should be new and without wheels. Larger backpacks for high school students are preferred.

In 2012, WFCM provided 1,889 school backpacks to children in 23 schools in Centreville, Chantilly, Clifton and Fairfax. That is an increase of more than 700 backpacks over last year! We appreciate the generosity of our local community in partnering with us in our backpack program!  Thank you to the following churches and businesses for their backpack collection efforts as our program was a true success because of them:
  • Access National Bank
  • Apple Federal Bank
  • Centreville Baptist Church
  • Centreville United Methodist Church
  • Chantilly Baptist Church
  • Chantilly Bible Church
  • Christ Central Presbyterian Church
  • Church of the Epiphany
  • Clifton Presbyterian Church
  • Fairfax Church of Christ
  • Junior League of Northern Virginia
  • King of Kings Lutheran Church
  • Korean Presbyterian Church
  • Lord of Life Lutheran Church
  • Mount Olive Baptist Church
  • Neustar, Inc.
  • New Life Christian church
  • Ox Hill Baptist Church
  • Pender United Methodist Church
  • Philanthrophic Education Organization
  • Quest Diagnostics
  • Saint Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church
  • St. Timothy's Catholic Church
  • Wellspring United Church of Christ
Thank you especially to the many generous individual donors who saw the need advertised on our website or in the local papers and dropped off backpacks at our offices, many of them who didn't give a name but just wanted to help!!! We appreciate you!

If you would like to learn more about WFCM's Annual Backpack Program or would like to be a program sponsor to help us provide for more students, please contact Jennie Bush.