Stephen's Backpack Society is preparing to hand out thousands of backpacks to students in need for the upcoming school year.
Nancy McPhee, the Executive Director of the society and mother of Stephen, explained that they are preparing to build and distribute around 4,000 backpacks.
"Friday night is when we will build our high school backpacks, Monday we will do our middle school backpacks, Thursday will be elementary, then we hand them all out (next) Saturday."
Handing out backpacks for 19 years now, the society is expected to reach the 100,000 mark this year.
"It's just amazing how it's happened and how it's evolved over 19 years. Stephen wanted to help homeless kids, and it has grown from there."
McPhee explained that a partnership with School Start allows the backpacks to be full of all the school supplies needed.
While they will be handing out 4000 backpacks, McPhee still does not feel like they can keep up with the demand.
"I've had to say no to some agencies and some families, and that's probably the hardest part of my job, because I just wish we had the funds to be able to help everyone who asked for it."
She explained that the price of school supplies has doubled in the past three or four years.
McPhee thanked everybody who has helped along the way and those who are helping put these backpacks together.
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