Family Giving Tree Gears Up for School

As volunteers at a donated warehouse for the Family Giving Tree back-to-school drive assemble 18,000 backpacks, the organization plans to distribute them later this month throughout the Bay Area, including Milpitas elementary schools.

Since its inception as an MBA project at San Jose State University, the philanthropic organization has faced some , said Program Manager Al Galan.

“This year’s new wrinkle is no Sharks logos,” Galan said, “Somehow the sports team is being affiliated with gangs in Sunnyvale.” 

Galan noted that this disappointed him, as he is a San Jose Sharks fan. 

The Family Giving Tree so far has collected about 5,000 backpacks in a 20,000 square foot warehouse in Milpitas, according to Galan. About 2,000 were donated, while the rest were purchased with donated money.  

“We’re waiting on a shipment of school supplies, so volunteers can stuff them,” Galan said. 

Among the volunteers is Winnie Sloan of Santa Clara, who got her company Tyco Thermal Controls to participate in the backpack drive this year.

About 24 backpacks with supplies were donated by employees, and a team came from the company's Menlo Park and Redwood City locations to pitch in some labor.

"Anything we can do to light a spark with kids to get enthusiastic and do well in school," she said, adding that there are many negative influences, and a backpack can "let them know there are more options."

The Family Giving Tree will give the backpacks brimming with school supplies to students at underprivileged academic institutions throughout the Bay Area. Teachers and other school faculty members decide who gets what type of backpack.  

To participate in the process, instructors or school administrators submit an application to the Family Giving Tree, detailing needs such as “no red, blue, or pink backpacks due to gang affiliations.” The Family Giving Tree processes their requests, filtering the backpacks primarily based on the age of the recipient.

“I don’t think a high school kid is going to take a Lighting McQueen backpack to school,” Galan said.

High school students will get larger backpacks than the ones given to elementary school pupils, Galan said.

Some of the backpacks were donated by patrons of the Peet’s Coffee, which has partnered with the organization for the past two years.

“The success of the program is due largely to the enthusiasm and participation by Peet’s employees, as well as the generosity of Peet’s customers,” said Nicole Arena, a spokesperson for Peet’s Coffee.  The company collected 272 backpacks last year, and hopes to collect 300 this year, she said.

“While people are waiting for their coffee, they could pick up a luggage handle from the display by the checkout,” Galan said, “They can wrap that on the backpack they want to donate and then drop it off at Peet’s."