The Berrien Community Foundation is once again helping students and families get ready to go back to school with its Backpacks for Good program.

By providing more than 1,100 backpacks filled with school supplies to kids, the foundation is helping alleviate financial burdens faced by families.

This year the foundation will hold four different Backpack for Good events. Program Director Susan Matheny told us the event has grown over the years and is quite unique.

“You think about the summer and the costs of having your children out of school and home all summer, it can be really expensive for some families and real hard to meet that budget,” Matheny said. “Backpacks for Good is our way of trying to say, let’s help the community help each other to get through that and to make sure everybody has what they need.”

The giveaway events will take place over four days at four different locations around Berrien County. They’ll start Thursday, August 1 at Eau Claire schools, and the biggest event will be held on August 6 during Benton Harbor’s National Night Out.

“Students can come and they can choose the color backpack they want. There are different sizes for bigger kids and little kids, so there’s a lot of fun to it. But there’s also community and family resources that we bring to these events, like the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club, and all the libraries are just excited to come every year.”

Families don’t need to register before attending one of the events. However, the foundation is seeking volunteers to help pack and hand out backpacks to students. Anyone can sign up to help right here.

The dates for the Backpack For Good event are:

– Eau Claire students: Aug. 1 from 6-8 p.m. at Lybrook Elementary
– 49022 Students: Aug. 6 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Dwight P. Mitchell City Center
– Brandywine or Niles students: Aug. 8 from 4-6 p.m. in the Niles High School parking lot
– Watervliet, Coloma, and Hager #6 students: Aug. 15 from 4-6 p.m in the Coloma High School parking lot