Lifebridge Backpack Program

Exposure to harsh weather on the North Shore puts people without stable housing at great risk. The Lifebridge Backpack Program is rooted in our mission to meet basic needs during these New England winters and summers while fostering dignity, hope, and long-term stability.

It all started with one backpack, and today it continues with a community ensuring that no neighbor goes without the essentials to survive and the confidence to move forward.

How to Get a Backpack

Backpacks are available to anyone experiencing street homelessness on the North Shore. We distribute backpacks twice a year: once in the summer, and once in the winter. Backpacks are distributed at our day centers in Salem and Gloucester. Contact them today for more information.

We distribute specialized backpacks, called CITYPAKS, which are specifically designed for people living on the streets or in shelters. We fill each backpack with personal care items donated by the North Shore community, including hygiene products (soap, shampoo, razors), warm clothing essentials (gloves, socks), and other daily necessities.

Backpack recipients include people of all ages who face barriers such as poverty, unemployment, trauma, domestic violence, mental health challenges, and substance use. Many arrive with no way to keep or maintain their belongings. By providing essential items in a durable backpack, clients experience improved hygiene, greater physical safety, and restored dignity—key building blocks on the path toward housing stability and recovery.

It All Started With One Backpack

In 2017, a wonderful family collaborated with the Waring School in Beverly, MA to start a backpack program for the people experiencing homelessness that we serve. They understood the need for dignity and being able to hold something tangible in their hands. 

Today, we continue the tradition twice a year, rebuilding community support for our most vulnerable neighbors.