Congregations for Kids is the only organization that partners with the Bellevue School District to provide backpacks and school supplies for home use for the district's students.  In the first 30 years, Congregations for Kids (C4K) has filled over 41,000 district requests, tailoring backpacks and school supplies for students from all grade levels.

Who is helped?

• Bellevue School District students most in need.
• Students who would benefit the most are mainly identified by Family Engagement Specialists in the school Family Connections Centers, collaborating with other school staff.
• Numbers, gender, school and grade level of those students are provided to us, never their names which are confidential.

How we help

• Student lists are finalized by the district before the end of the school year.
• Backpacks and school supplies are tailored to kindergarten through high school students during our Good Start Back to School project in August
  
• Students in grades K, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 9th and 11th receive new backpacks with kindergartners receiving a picture dictionary in theirs.. Since the district is providing school supplies for classroom use for all students, we provide home-use supplies at the school Family Connections Centers for the students we help to obtain and keep.  
  
• Students receive their backpacks before school starts.
  
• Extra backpacks are also provided for qualifying students entering later in the school year

The need remains great.  In 2025:

• 559 elementary students received backpacks, ranging from 0 in 1 school to 100 in another.
• 258 middle school students received backpacks, from 12 in 1 school to 120 in another.
• 309 high school students received backpacks, from 2 in 1 school to 113 in another.
• 150 extra backpacks were prepared for additional qualifying students.