Back-to-School
Back to a Safe and Beautified School with the tools they need to succeed
All children should feel safe, welcomed and equipped for success on their first day back to school. But more than 63% of students start the school year without the necessary supplies¹ and 90% of educators spend money out of their own pockets to provide supplies for under-resourced students.²
You can join us in making a difference for Central Alabama students through our annual Back-to-School Campaign.
How you can help
1. Donate Backpacks and Supplies
United Way Hands On is collecting backpacks and essential school supplies to help local students start the school year prepared and confident. Explore your donation options below:
Donate Online
Support local students in just a few clicks with a fast, secure online gift.
Shop & Donate Locally
Buy supplies locally and drop them off at a location near you.
Select from Our Amazon Wishlist
Skip the store and ship supplies directly from Amazon.
2. Volunteer for a Back-to-School Beautification project (July 14-19, 2025)
Join United Way Hands On to transform school campuses into welcoming, inspiring spaces before the first bell rings. Volunteers will help with cleaning, organizing, painting and more at local schools. Projects will be listed on INVOLVE, or you can contact us to coordinate a project at a school near you.
3. Become a Back-to-School Sponsor.
Our Back-to-School Sponsorship opportunities offer a variety of ways to make a meaningful impact.
School Beautification Sponsorship $1,500
- Covers the cost of equipment needed for a school cleanup, including exterior and interior work requested by the school.
- Sponsorship includes corporate recognition in all media surrounding the event.
- Sponsor company has first access to volunteering for the school cleanup event itself.
Backpack Drive Sponsorship $2,500
- Covers the cost of fully packed backpacks for an entire grade, school or agency.
- Sponsorship includes corporate recognition in all media surrounding the event and branding that would be included in the backpacks, materials, etc.
- Sponsor has first access to supply volunteers for packing donated backpacks.
- Sponsor has first access to personally distributing the backpacks to the school/organization and the students receiving them.
For questions or further information about Back-to-School sponsorship, contact Rachael Upton at [email protected]
For questions or more information about sponsorship, contact Rachael Upton at [email protected].
Sponsor
Inspire students, elevate your brand and make a visible impact this school year.
School Supply List
- Clear plastic backpacks
- Composition notebook
- Packs of loose-leaf paper (wide ruled)
- 3-prong plastic folders
- Packs of pre-sharpened #2 pencils (12-pack preferred)
- Pack of red pens
- Student scissors
- Box of crayons (12 or 24 pack preferred)
- Box of colored pencils
- Box of markers
- Pack of permanent markers/Sharpie
- Liquid glue
- Glue sticks
- Quart-size and gallon-sized Ziplock bags
- Antibacterial hand sanitizer
- Index cards (3×5 and 5×8)
- Dry erase markers
- Large pencil pouches
- Packs of white copy paper
- Packs of cardstock paper (multicolor)
- Paper towel rolls
- Boxes of facial tissue
- 1″ and 1.5″ binders with clear plastic cover and pockets
- Plastic binder dividers
- Clorox wipes
- Highlighters
- Packs of eraser caps
- Block erasers
- Plastic pocket folders with 3 holes
- Sheet protectors
- Baby wipes
- Lysol
Donation Drop-Off Locations
By county, physical drop-off locations include:
- Blount – Blount County Board of Education (415 5th Ave E in Oneonta)
- Chilton – Chilton County DHR (324 Health Center Drive in Clanton)
- Jefferson – United Way of Central Alabama (3620 8th Avenue S in Birmingham)
- Shelby – Shelby Emergency Assistance (160 Shoshone Drive in Montevallo)
- St. Clair – St. Clair County DHR (213 Fox Hollow Boulevard in Pell City)
- Walker – Chamber of Commerce of Walker County (204 19th E, Suite101 in Jasper)
Together, let’s equip students for success and brighten their educational journey!
Sources
¹ Kids In Need Foundation, “Our Impact.” www.kinf.org.
² National Education Association, “Out-of-Pocket Spending on School Supplies Adds to Strain on Educators.” www.nea.org.