Mission

​Easing the burden of homelessness,
one backpack at a time.
Our mission comes to life in three ways:
(1) packing and hand-delivering backpacks filled with essential supplies,
(2) making a personal connection with each client that we serve, and
(3) connecting our clients to other homeless service providers within the communities in which we operate.

Values

It is our experience that a ten-minute conversation can dispel a lifetime of assumptions about homelessness and the people who experience it. An open mind, heart and ear is all it takes to understand how little separates someone who is homeless from someone who is not. We hope that through personal interaction, every member of our society will understand why we use words like brilliant, proud, hilarious, wise, philanthropic, and compassionate to describe our clients.

Vision

While we may not reach a day when The Backpack Project can fully retire, we hope to contribute to the collective effort that our friends at the Gateway Center characterize as making homelessness “rare and brief.” As a community, we must commit to prioritizing compassion and treating every individual with dignity and respect. Our team does not fear difference of opinion about how to address homelessness; rather, we fear indifference of opinion. TBP envisions a future in which everyday citizens become the change they want to see in the world, starting in their local communities.

Our Team

Run entirely by students at the University of Georgia, The Backpack Project has a team of 16 compassionate and innovative students who work every day to bridge the gap between aspiration and reality in homeless services.

Business ​Leaders

Our team works together to manage TBP's finances, marketing & operations.

Community Oriented

Hands-on service creates positive impacts on local & statewide communities.

Everyday Philanthropy

TBP's team members view philanthropy as a lifestyle, rather than an activity.