history
June Everett founded Backpack Society (BPS) in September 2019 with a mission to remove food insecurity as an obstacle for children so they can grow, learn, and thrive. Working from her kitchen table, she researched and developed a program to help local kids. She realized the biggest impact would come from making sure kids have enough eat on weekends and breaks when lack access to school provided meals. The plan was to send kids home on the weekends with a bag of easy to prepare meals, so they could come back to school on Monday ready to learn.
She partnered with her kids’ school ThunderRidge High School to help identify kids in need and roll out a pilot program for 20 students. In preparation, TRHS held a food drive to help kick off the program. Unfortunately, the rollout plan changed due to the pandemic. With students not in school and lacking access to the school supported meal programs, the need for food immediately grew. Jumping into action, the weekend food program was set aside, and instead Backpack Society began offering weekly groceries for the student’s entire household. BPS delivered groceries to student’s doorstep until kids went back to in-person school.
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Backpack Society operated out of June’s garage until May 2020 when a low-cost/donated warehouse space was offered. BPS remained there for 10 months until they were able to raise enough money to move into their permanent home in March 2021 – almost one year from the date they provided their first grocery box to a student family.​​​​​
100% community supported through donations and local grants, Backpack Society has seen tremendous growth in the number of students they assist on a weekly basis. Today, BPS partners with schools in Douglas County, Littleton Public School District, and Englewood School District.
June's Garage
