Backpacks for Life will be holding a donation drive on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the University of Connecticut Catholic Center.
Backpacks for Life is a national nonprofit organization based in New Jersey that helps homeless veterans by providing them with daily necessities such as toiletries, clothing and other travel-sized products in military grade backpacks.
The goal of the organization is to “enhance the general well-being of our homeless veterans while providing them with tools to succeed,” according to their website.
Ava Abruzzese, an eighth-semester molecular and cell biology major at UConn, started volunteering her sophomore year and now helps organize the events.
Anyone can donate, including UConn students and residents in the area.
Along with physical donations, people can also donate money through cash, check or Venmo at @backpacksforlife. The organization’s website also has a place for people to donate online.
As items get donated, they are sorted into three different categories — toiletries, clothes and miscellaneous items — and then packaged and put into the backpacks, according to Abruzzese.
The event usually ends up filling 30 backpacks. The leftover items go to a warehouse to be distributed at a later time. Many of the backpacks get distributed to nearby areas such as Coventry and Willimantic.
Since Abruzzese joined in 2024, they’ve donated 80 backpacks and their goal is to exceed 125 backpacks for the past three years.
On the national level, the organization has donated over 13,000 backpacks across 33 states through its constituents, while also raising monetary donations.
The organization also has a coaching and mentorship program for veterans in or near the New Jersey area. The program aims to help veterans through hardships and obstacles, along with helping other needs they may have.
Abruzzese said her favorite part of the event is to see all the successful donation drives.
“Being able to see the number of backpacks we are able to fill increase over the years is really amazing,” she said.
To sign up to volunteer, students can email ava.abruzzese@uconn.edu.
According to Abruzzese, the next drive will most likely be held around April next year.