MARBLEHEAD — Tucked into a corner of Marblehead, just a short walk from downtown, the SPUR headquarters is quiet, for now. But by July 21, it will be bustling with volunteers, packed with color-coded folders, mountains of markers, and hundreds of backpacks waiting to be filled for students across the North Shore.
From July 21 through August 8, the nonprofit’s annual backpack drive will be in full swing, a community-powered project that will provide 600 children from Lynn, Marblehead, Salem and Swampscott with individualized school supply kits, each one tailored to a specific child’s classroom list and personal preferences.
Director of Communications and Community Relations Kimberly Nothnagel said SPUR is working with Staples this year, right in Vinnin Square, to source everything.
“Normally, we go through a wholesaler, which has been really wonderful and really positive. But Staples approached us and was like, ‘We love this program. We want to be good neighbors. Can we help facilitate this?’”
The team said yes, on one condition. “We said we do it on a shoestring budget. So if you can help us at these prices … they said, ‘We’ll do whatever we can.’”
While SPUR is still awaiting the full shipment from Staples, preparations are well underway. Once the supplies arrive, volunteers of all ages including families, friend groups, book clubs, even local businesses will step in to assemble the backpacks.
Nothnagel said that students are identified by a school guidance counselor, a food-pantry director, or a social worker in their lives who knows and understands their needs.
What is so special about this particular fundraiser is that the organization provides school supplies for individual students based on their specific classroom needs and personal interests.
And the customization doesn’t stop at pencils and glue sticks.
“If your second grade teacher says everybody should come to the first day of school with a box of Crayola markers, we want to make sure that’s exactly what we’re giving you,” she said. “So that there is no disparity between what you have and what your classmates have on the first day of school.”
Over the years, the team has learned that this drive is about much more than materials.
“It’s not just about those school supplies,” she said. “It’s about feeling a sense of belonging… for a kid who’s walking in and has those supplies, it’s a sense of being just as included and belong just as much as every other kid in that room.”
Each backpack even down to the color and style is thoughtfully packed. Sometimes it’s as simple as a note from a social worker: this student hates pink. Other times, it’s about ensuring siblings receive similar items or that high school boys get the black backpacks they request year after year.
“We want to make sure again, these aren’t just any old kids. They’re specific kids whose needs are important to us,” she said. “And we want to make sure that we’re meeting them, not just with papers and pencils, but with whatever other way we need to lean into or out of those needs.”
Nothnagel said volunteers are at the heart of the operation. Many return every summer, making the backpack drive their yearly tradition.
“There are definitely folks who are like, ‘this is my volunteer thing — I come every summer,’” she said. “There’s a book club who all wants to sign up together. Lots of families come in. People often want to come in with their workmates. They’ll make a night out of it — ask for a later shift, and then go out afterward. It’s the cutest.”
And amid the packing and sorting, there are moments that leave a lasting emotional impact.
“There is a gentleman who lives here in Marblehead, and he sponsors a bunch of backpacks every year,” she said, her voice softening. “Last year he came by real early. There weren’t any volunteers in yet. And he got real quiet, which is very unlike him and he said to me, ‘The reason I write this check is because if this had been around when I was a kid, I would have been one of those kids receiving a backpack.’
“So it’s the least I can do,” he told Nothnagel.
“That circle of community, really is why we do what we do,” she said. “Because I know he looks at that and thinks about how things could have been different for him. And the idea that he can give the support he didn’t have to a kid who’s standing exactly in his shoes right now, that’s why we’re here.”
The drive also provides relief to local educators. Many teachers, who volunteer themselves, are visibly moved when they see how specific the contents are and how much care goes into each pack Nothnagel said.
“There’s a sense of relief when they see that this is what’s going into the backpack,” she said. “They feel that in their hearts.”
So far, SPUR has reached just over 10% of its fundraising goal covering approximately 60 of the 600 students. That leaves over 530 children still in need of a sponsor.
“There’s a big old volunteer button right at the top of the website,” she said. “There’s also a sponsor a backpack button. Another great way to get involved is to share it with your friends. We can shout it from the rooftops, but it means a lot more when people say, ‘Hey, this matters to me.’”
The deadline to volunteer or donate is August 8, after which the backpacks are distributed to local agencies and schools. Some schools begin their academic year as early as mid-August, making the timeline tight.
While the need is growing across the region, SPUR remains committed to making sure no child starts the school year empty-handed, or unseen.
“This is one small puzzle piece in really meaningful and important support that these kids do need,” she said. “Academically, socially… the backpacks go a long way.”
Nothnagel said, “Our community is healthier, more vibrant, and stronger when we are all working together.”
Those who would like to volunteer for SPUR or sponsor a student can visit https://www.spurnorthshore.org/sponsorastudent.
