With Needham Public Schools students heading back to class on Wednesday, Sept. 2, three local organizations are collecting backpacks and buying supplies for families who can't afford the back-to-school bill.
The Needham Housing Authority, Needham Community Council and Storytime Crafts are each running separate drives through late August, targeting different populations but sharing a common goal: making sure no kid shows up empty-handed.
"The struggle for survival is absolutely real," said Laurie Blake, resident services coordinator at the Needham Housing Authority, in a report published by Needham Local.
Backpacks at the cookout
Blake is collecting backpacks and school supplies at the NHA's office, 5 Highland Circle Suite 10, for an end-of-summer cookout on Wednesday, Aug. 26. The goal: distribute 30 to 40 filled backpacks to students living at Captain Robert Cook and High Rock Estates.
The NHA is accepting pens, pencils, erasers, lined paper, folders, three-ring binders, crayons, highlighters and markers. Drop-off hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Gift cards for 190 students
The Needham Community Council takes a different approach. Because school supply lists are highly specific, the NCC distributes $50 gift cards, mostly to Target, so families can buy exactly what teachers require. Last year the program reached about 190 students, and executive director Sandy Robinson said she expects similar demand for the 2026-27 school year.
The need is growing. The NCC's food pantry now serves 414 Needham families, up from about 300 in 2025, as we reported in July. Most of the students receiving gift cards come from those same households.
NCC staff member Sue Gilbert said her own child's supply list last year totaled nearly $100. Robinson said the program aims to level the playing field so every student is prepared on day one.
Storytime Crafts partners with Dedham Savings
Storytime Crafts, a literacy nonprofit at 20 Kearney Rd. founded by Needham native Lisa Vergara, is running its fifth annual back-to-school drive in partnership with Dedham Savings and two Needham-headquartered companies, Evolve by Nature and SharkNinja.
Donations of new school supplies can be dropped at 20 Kearney Rd. or at the Dedham Savings branch at 695 Highland Ave. in Needham Heights through Saturday, Aug. 29. The collected supplies go primarily to the Sarah Greenwood K-8 School in Dorchester, where about 88% of students are identified as low-income, according to Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education data.
Vergara said she grew up in Needham without much and sees both deep need and deep generosity in the community. She called the drives a way to relieve anxiety for families already stretched thin just trying to feed their children.
