Christmas Backpacks
Join other Southern Baptist Families, churches, and associations in making a difference in the lives of children and teens up to age 17 who live in poverty through a backpack covered in prayer and packed with gifts, necessities, and God’s word.
Our Staff
Dwain Carter
Director of Mobilization and Disaster Relief
770-936-5259
Email Dwain
Patty Ficarra
State Admin.
770-936-5254
Email Patty
Christmas Backpacks are child focused, Christ-centered, church connected.
Every effort is made to connect the child and his or her family back to a local church.
How You Can Become Involved:
PRAY > Start praying today for the boys and girls who will receive Christmas Backpacks.
PARTICIPATE > You, your family, your church, and your organization can become involved by preparing Christmas Backpacks for Children and Teens.
Partner > You can partner with a church or compassionate ministry that is distributing the Christmas Backpacks.
PROGRAM UPDATES
The Christmas Backpacks program is very similar to the last few years. Here are the highlights and one change for 2022:
- Churches and associations who already have a partnership in Appalachia, are encouraged to continue supporting that partnership with Christmas Backpacks. Churches and associations choosing this option, will be responsible for:
- Communicating and planning directly with the ministry site they are partnering with.
- Transporting their own backpacks.
- Churches and associations who do not have a current partnership in Appalachia are asked to adopt/partner with a ministry site in Georgia. If choosing this option, the church or association will be responsible for:
- Communicating and planning directly with the ministry site they are partnering with.
- Transporting their own backpacks.
- Churches and associations may also collect backpacks that can be used where needed in Georgia and then in Appalachia. Those choosing this option will be responsible for:
- Packing the backpacks in specific size boxes.
- Delivering the packed boxes to one of the available collection sites.
2022 Change: “The Christmas Story” is available for printing from the Resources button. Churches and associations will be responsible for printing “The Christmas Story” to put in each backpack.
Whichever option you choose, REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
START HERE / FAQ
- Review the guidelines and basic information on each button above.
- Contact your local association office to see if there is an association-wide effort to collect backpacks for an ongoing partnership or for adopting a ministry site.
- If so, let them know how many backpacks your church plans to contribute so they can plan accordingly and register all the churches as one group.
- If you are not working through your association, review the “Ministry Sites to Adopt” list on the Resources button to decide which ministry site in Georgia you would like to adopt.
- Whether you already have a partnership in Appalachia, are planning to adopt a Georgia ministry site, or are collecting backpacks to fill the gap of unmet requests in Georgia, REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED for your church’s, association’s, or ministry’s participation.
- Review the guidelines and gift suggestions for packing a backpack found on the “Christmas Backpacks Gift Suggestions” flyer on the Resources button.
- Backpacks AND their contents need to be NEW.
- The updated version of “The Christmas Story” is available for printing from the Resources button. Churches and associations will be responsible for printing “The Christmas Story” to put in each backpack.
- Each backpack must be securely tied with a “Gender” AND “Age” ribbon as directed on the “key” found on the “Christmas Backpack Gift Suggestions” flyer located on the Resources button.
- Backpacks need to be packed in medium (18x18x16) size boxes with 4 to each box if possible. (These boxes can be purchased at Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes, or a shipping packing store.)
- Boxes need to be securely taped on the top and bottom, not just folded.
- If adopting a ministry site or collecting for a current partnership, it is essential that you arrange transport of your backpacks to that site with its designated leader. The contact information for the designated leader of the site will be provide on your registration confirmation.
- Timing – It is entirely up to you when you choose to promote and collect the backpacks. Please keep in mind that if you include candy or food in the backpacks, you don’t need to collect them too early (check all expiration dates). Absolutely no chocolate or other candy that melts!
FAQs:
Please be sure to review the FAQs as there may be information not covered elsewhere. Download the FAQ (PDF).
DELIVERY OPTIONS
For those with:
- A current partnership in Appalachia or Georgia (ONLINE REGISTRATION IS STILL REQUIRED.)
- Those who are adopting a site in Georgia (view the list prior to registration by clicking on the “Ministry Sites to Adopt” on the Resources button.)
You will assume the responsibility of transporting your backpacks to that site.
For those collecting backpacks to be used to fill the unmet needs at sites in Georgia and then in Appalachia, you are responsible for delivering the backpacks to one of the collection/drop-off sites around the state. Download the Collection Site Locations (PDF).
RESOURCES
All printable resources have been updated. Please discard leftover resources from previous years, including “The Christmas Story” as they contain outdated information.
Downloads:
- Bulletin Insert (Color)
- Bulletin Insert (Black & White)
- Flyer (8.5 x 11 – Color)
- Flyer (8.5 x 11 – Black & White)
- Christmas Backpacks Gift Suggestions Instructions – Color (How to pack a backpack)
- Christmas Backpacks Gift Suggestions Instructions – Black & White (How to pack backpack)
- Logo 1 (Color)
- Logo 1 (Black & White)
- Logo 2 (Color)
- Logo 2 (Black & White)
- Ministry Sites to Adopt
- The Christmas Story (NOTE – needs to be printed and included in each backpack.)
Videos:
NOTE: After page loads, look below video for “Download” button and click to choose download format.