Lifebridge Backpack Program | Lifebridge North Shore, MA

Volunteers pose for the camera at the Lifebridge Backpack Program's give a backpack day.

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 Involved

We are no longer collecting items for our Winter 2025 drive. If you’d still like to donate, please contact k.holmes@lifebridgenorthshore.org to schedule a drop off.

We are so grateful for the many donations we received during our community collection drive in November, but we still need essential items from our wish list. By filling out the form on this page, your donation will help fill this gap and ensure that we can continue distributing backpacks every year. You can also make a general donation to Lifebridge here.

How to Get a Backpack

The next Lifebridge Backpack Program distribution event is December 2nd. You do not have to be a shelter resident – anyone experiencing homelessness is welcome to a free backpack.

Backpacks and winter coats are available to pick up from 10am – 11am at our Day Center at 54 Margin St., Salem, MA.

How It Works

Twice a year, 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

“The knowledge that you own something that no one can take away is revolutionary. It changes the way you walk, talk, and think. It brings back your confidence. It restores dignity.”
– Founding Family Member of the Lifebridge Backpack Program

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.