No child should have to walk into school quietly carrying the burden or embarrassment of not havinga backpack, lunchbox, or even basic pens and pencils. While these may seem like small and insignificant items, things the average household should have, to a child already wrestling with anxiety or instability, these visible reminders can deepen feelings of being left out or “less-than.“
As a retired D.C. police officer with nearly 30 years on the job, I was used to getting crisis calls. Back then, we could only pause the problem. When I retired and became a pastor, I wanted to keep responding to those in crisis, but this time, I wanted to meet a need in a way that would truly move someone forward, to protect their well-being by meeting their immediate and physical needs.
If theres one thing Ive learned working in law enforcement, its that small problems can quickly spiral when left unaddressed. A child without school supplies might seem like a small issue in the grand scheme of poverty or violence or family breakdown.
But that child is learning something on day one of the school year: that they are different, forgotten, or inferior. No kid should have to carry that weight before theyve even opened a textbook, especially with youth mental health now declared a national crisis by the U.S. surgeon general. We cant ignore how much these early experiences shape resilience and self-worth in kids.
In every city, there are programs meant to support families, government services, nonprofit organizations, and local aid groups. Many of these host generous school–supply drives to make sure every child is ready for the year ahead. But some kids still miss out, often for reasons beyond their control. Some families fall just outside eligibility for aid.
Maybe their parents are too sick to attend a giveaway event. Maybe they arrive late because of transportation challenges. Maybe family struggles with addiction or poverty mean that something as simple as a backpack just isnt a priority. Maybe a child is hospitalized for a long period and cant attend supply events at all. Some situations, like homelessness, domestic violence, or sudden illness, come without warning and dont wait for paperwork.
Social workers in schools, hospitals, and shelters see these cracks up close, and they carry the quiet burdens of others. They notice when a child is too embarrassed to hang up their coat because its torn. They know which families just lost housing, or whos sleeping on a friends couch. And they often wish they could do more.
Thats why I started Boost Others: to help social workers in schools, hospitals, and Child Protective Services solve urgent problems dealing with abused and sick kids that couldnt be fixed quickly by government agencies or existing nonprofits. Its not a replacement for larger systems; its a support net beneath them.
Providing a backpack for a child is more than just meeting a need. To the child, that backpack becomes a symbol that someone is looking out for them.
We live in a culture where its easy to assume someone else will step in. That the school will provide supplies, a charity will cover the cost, or that the problem isnt urgent enough to need our help. But often, we are the missing piece. Sometimes it takes just one person to make sure a child doesnt start their year behind. One notebook. One pair of shoes. One conversation that tells them they matter.
Ive spent nearly three decades responding to emergencies. I know some of the most important crises dont make a siren wail. They are quiet, hidden in a childs embarrassment or isolation. When kids start the year feeling left behind, it affects more than just their grades. It can feed anxiety, fuel isolation, and increase risk of depression – ultimately, creating a distorted view of their place in the world.
When children begin the year equipped and encouraged, theyre not just better prepared academically. Theyre more open to friendships, more engaged with teachers, and more resilient when challenges come.
These little victories form protective shields in a childs confidence and self-worth. They lay the foundation for perseverance, planting seeds of success that will grow not only in the school year ahead, but throughout their whole lives.
Dale Sutherland is a 29-year veteran undercover D.C. detective turned pastor. He founded the nonprofit Boost Others to help schools, hospitals, and homeless shelters solve urgent problems that couldn’t be fixed quickly by government agencies or existing nonprofits.