There’s Room
for You
Everyone is welcome. Free and open to all families, whatever their background or beliefs.
Back to School Backpack BBQ
Every child deserves to walk into the first day of school ready.
Back-to-school season is expensive. In 2026, families with K–12 students planned to spend about $146 on school supplies alone.1 In our home ZIP code, 02907, about 3 in 10 children live below the poverty line.2 So before school starts, we throw a party for our neighbors, and every child leaves with a full backpack.
Sources: 1 National Retail Federation · 2 U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024
By the time the canopies went up at Colt State Park in Bristol on Saturday, August 29, 2026, the grills were already going. Volunteers served a free cookout. Kids raced in sack races, earned medals and played chess on the lawn while families shared the afternoon at the picnic tables.
Then came the moment the kids had been waiting for: the backpack table. We gave away 25 backpacks that day, each filled with pencils, markers, writing pads, hand sanitizer and rulers, plus snacks and juice boxes donated by Feed Rhode Island. Thank you, Feed Rhode Island, for helping fill our 2026 backpacks.
Open to all. The Back to School Backpack BBQ is free and open to everyone in the community.
Come out, pick up a free backpack for your child, and stay for the cookout and games. It’s all free and open to everyone.
- Next
- Saturday, August 28, 2027 · 11 AM – 4 PM · Location to be announced
Where we serve
Backpacks & School Supplies
Each child receives a backpack filled with school supplies, free and without conditions.
Free Community Meal
A free cookout open to everyone, grilled and served by volunteers.
Games & Activities
Sack races, medals for the kids, chess, balls, balloons and lawn games.
Serve With Us
Pack backpacks, grill, run games and welcome families.
Help a child start school ready.
Give
Adopt a Backpack: fill one with school supplies, or host a supply drive at your workplace, school or small group.
Give →Partner
Invest in Our Community: Businesses, foundations, churches and community groups can support our community outreach in whatever way fits. Make a financial gift of any size toward our work or a specific event, sponsor backpacks, donate school supplies or food, or host a resource table. Every gift makes a difference.
Partner With Us →Good to know
Do I have to attend NDAC to get a backpack?
No. The Back to School Backpack BBQ is free and open to all families, whatever their background or beliefs.
Is there a cost?
No. The backpacks, the meal and the games are free.
How can my business help?
In any way you’d like. Make a financial gift of any size toward our community outreach or a specific event, sponsor backpacks, donate school supplies or food, or host a resource table.
What should I bring?
Just bring yourself, and feel free to bring your family and friends.