Stuff-a-Sackpack

Wenatchee Valley Stuff-a-Sackpack is a service project each December that reaches out to local homeless, high-risk & in-need teens during the holidays to let them know they matter and have not been forgotten by their community.

Drop-offs: Saturday, December 14, 2024 – 9am-2pm at The Salcido Connection.

Every night, thousands of homeless youth in Washington go to sleep without safety, stability, and support of a family or home.

Get Involved

Stuff a Sackpack

Sign up to stuff a sackpack to encourage a local teen who is either homeless, high-risk, or in a season of need.

Special Needs Requests

Contribute to individual requests for local teens’ special needs, such as warm clothing, new shoes, and more.

Other Ways to Help

You can also help by donating warm clothing, toiletries, food items, gift cards or money to Stuff-A-Sackpack

Partnering With

  • Wenatchee High School

  • Westside High School

  • Eastmont High School

  • Eastmont Junior High School

  • Sterling Junior High School

  • Pinnacles Prep Charter School

  • Wenatchee Valley Tech Center

In 2023 we provided 385 full sackpacks and 620 community use envelope to teens in eight places!

How our partner schools define “homelessness”:

The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children as "individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence." The act provides examples of children who would fall under this definition:

  • Children and youth sharing housing due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason

  • Children and youth living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camp grounds due to lack of alternative accommodations

  • Children and youth living in emergency or transitional shelters

  • Children and youth abandoned in hospitals

  • Children and youth whose primary nighttime residence is not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation (e.g. park benches, etc)

  • Children and youth living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations

  • Migratory children and youth living in any of the above situations

What does McKinney-Vento mean?

The McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for homeless children and youth. McKinney-Vento provides federal funding to states for the purpose of supporting district programs that serve homeless students.

  • “I am blown away by the generosity shown to our students. Thank you so much for your hard work in coordinating the Stuff-A-Sackpack event and inviting the students of EHS.”

    Eastmont High School

  • “Thanks to all the effort of [the stuff-a-sackpack team] over 100 students were given a reason to smile this holiday season! Stuff-A-Sackpack - huge success. A community that cares about all kids!”

    Wenatchee High School

  • “I witnessed numerous students humbled to tears (and staff too) as they were not only given a sackpack, but shoes and many other items. They were reminded that there are people who care for them this holiday season. Thank you again for EVERYTHING!”

    Eastmont Junior High School

  • “I cannot believe the shear amount of giving that happened here and I am not sure how we an adequately thank your congregation for the amazing and life-changing generosity that has been displayed here. The smiles from the families and the sincere thanks we received have been so rewarding. WOW!”

    WestSide High School

  • “Thank you again for organizing this amazing gift for our valley teens. Students have been walking around campus today with their Sackpacks and huge smiles. You have given them hope in such a crucial time of their lives. THANK YOU - THANK YOU!”

    Eastmont Junior High School