For the 13th consecutive year, JFS of Metrowest provided backpacks and school supplies to children in our community who need it most! The Build-A-Backpack Events bring families together, giving us the chance to learn how we can help and support our shared community.

This initiative is dedicated to aiding low-income students in the Metrowest area by providing them with essential school supplies. Community members donated new backpacks and school supplies through our Amazon Wishlist to DOUBLE our impact this year! The completed backpacks will be distributed to the children in our community who are most in need.

Since the start of this event JFS has donated over 5,000 backpacks to kids in need at Framingham Public Schools! This year we had 105 families take time out of their day to volunteer at our backpack events to support children in the Metrowest area! 

This year we were challenged to DOUBLE our impact from years past by asking our community members to donate backpacks and supplies! Rashi took on their own challenge of increasing their impact this year in backpack and supplies donations, which led to many other community members following in their footsteps. This challenge led to 450 backpacks being packed this year! Thank you to all who stepped up to fill this incredible need in the community!

Thank you to our hosts, The Rashi School, The Grossman Family, Temple Shir Tikva, Temple Beth Elohim, and Weston Library for welcoming us into your spaces. We also want to express our deepest gratitude to the incredible volunteers, community partners, donors, and current/ former board members with whom these events would not have been possible!

Special shoutouts to:

  • Axie Breen
  • Sheldon Golder
  • The Teens of Rashi Student Leadership
  • The Grossman Family

The Build-A-Backpack event is part of JFS’ Pathways to Academic Growth, Empowerment and Success (PAGES) programming, formerly Reducing Achievement Gaps (RAG). PAGES is a unique, multi-tiered program focused on addressing the academic, social, and basic assistance needs of low-income children of immigrant families in Framingham.


To make a donation to JFS to support this and other programs please click “donate now”!