Volunteers Making a Difference in the Lives of Teens Experiencing Homelessness or Housing Insecurity

This community service program provides foster and homeless teens graduating from the Escondido Unified High School District with large travel sized backpacks filled with needed supplies to help them begin life on their own.

Each graduate receives a large backpack filled with items which will be helpful, whether they will be moving into their own apartments or dorm rooms or joining the military. The bags are overflowing with items such as a personal blender, kitchen tools, a warm throw and pillow, sleeping bag, solar phone charger, towels, socks, a tool kit, first aid kit, gift cards, and more.  Each bag is valued at over $400, and is funded by money raised by the Assistance League of Inland North County Thrift Shop and thru our donors.  Our volunteers experience a genuine sense of giving back to the community by helping these wonderful and deserving teens.

What Our Volunteers Do:

• Liaise with the district social worker to confirm the number of eligible graduates and finalize the items which will be included in each backpack.
• Shop for the best prices on, and purchase all items that go into the backpacks.
• Fill / assemble each backpack with the items.
• Present graduates with the filled backpacks at scheduled distribution events at the district high schools.

What our partners say about the program

“We are incredibly fortunate to have the support of community organizations like the Assistance League of North Inland County”, said Superintendent Dr. Anne Staffieri.  “Our students, particularly those most in need, have benefited tremendously from their programs.”