Operation Backpack®

Your Kindness + School Supplies = Hope

Help kids in your community reach for the stars!

Give kids the confidence they need to start the school year! 

Join us for Operation Backpack®, a program that gives local area children a new backpack and school supplies to start the school year. By lending your support, you’re doing more than donating supplies, you’re giving hope to families facing tough times and showing children that their community believes in them.  

Every child deserves a confident start to the school year, equipped with what they need to thrive. 

Let’s come together to empower young minds and make a lasting impact, one backpack at a time. Our Giving Guide has everything you need to host your own donation drive! It includes a step-by-step guide, opportunities to get kids involved, the supply list, logos, sample social media posts to help you spread the word, and more. Just looking for the supply list? Download here. 

Happy kid at school.

Ready to report your donations? We’d love to say thank you for helping kids reach for the stars this year! We encourage you to fill out our reporting form here.    

How to Donate

Get the List

Download the complete Supply List and go shopping for school supplies. This includes items like: 

  • Backpacks 
  • Pencils 
  • Notebooks 

Deliver Supplies

Deliver the backpack to a drop location near you. 

Find all the locations near you in the list below.

Spread the Word

Don’t forget to post a photo and share your experience with us! Use #OperationBackpack and make sure to tag @voaohin on social media.

Reporting Form

We’d love to say thank you! After you’ve dropped off donations, we encourage you to fill out our reporting form.

Drop Locations & Events

Check out drop locations and special events in your area!
Can’t make it to a drop location? Donate online to help all kids reach for the stars this school year.

Central Ohio


August 10th 12:00pm – 2:00pm 
800 Yard St. Suite 325 | Columbus, OH 43212

You can drop off backpacks and school supplies at all Volunteers of America Thrift stores in the Columbus area. Check our Thrift Store Directory for hours and locations. 

Indianola 
3620 Indianola Avenue | Columbus, Ohio 43214 

Henderson 
1800 W. Henderson Road | Columbus, Ohio 43220 

Gahanna 
5599 N. Hamilton Road | Columbus, Ohio 43230 

West Broad 
5640 W. Broad Street | Columbus, Ohio 43228 

Grove City 
4026 McDowell Road | Grove City, Ohio 43123 

Pickerington 
909 Old Diley Road | Pickerington, Ohio 43147 

Whitehall 
3583 E. Broad Street | Columbus, OH 43213 

Hours: Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. | Friday-Saturday: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. | Sunday: 1-5 p.m. 

Barnett Branch 
3434 E. Livingston Ave. | Columbus, OH 43227 

Canal Winchester Branch 
123 Groveport Rd. | Canal Winchester, OH 43110 

Driving Park Branch  
1422 E. Livingston Ave. | Columbus, OH 43205  

Dublin Branch 
75 N. High St. | Dublin, OH 43017  

Franklinton Branch 
1061 W. Town St. | Columbus, OH 43222  

Gahanna Branch 
310 Granville St. | Gahanna, OH 43230

Hilliard Branch 
4500 Hickory Chase Way | Hilliard, OH 43026  

Hilltop Branch  
511 S. Hague Ave. | Columbus, OH, 43204  

Karl Road Branch 
5590 Karl Rd. | Columbus, OH 43229 

Linden Branch  
2223 Cleveland Ave. | Columbus, OH 43211 

Main Library  
96 S. Grant Ave. | Columbus, OH 43215 

Marion-Franklin Branch  
2800 Lockbourne Rd. | Columbus, OH 43207  

Martin Luther King Branch 
1467 E. Long St. | Columbus, OH 43203  

New Albany Branch  
200 Market St. | New Albany, OH 43054 

Northern Lights Branch  
4093 Cleveland Ave. | Columbus, OH 43224  

Northside Branch 
1423 N. High St. | Columbus, OH 43201 

Parsons Branch  
1113 Parsons Ave. | Columbus, OH 43206 

Reynoldsburg Branch  
1402 Brice Rd., Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 

Shepard Branch  
850 N. Nelson Rd. | Columbus, OH 43219  

South High Branch  
3540 S. High St. | Columbus, OH 43207 

Southeast Branch  
3980 S. Hamilton Rd. | Groveport, OH 43125 

Whetstone Branch  
3909 N. High St. | Columbus, OH 43214 

Whitehall Branch  
4445 E. Broad St. | Columbus, OH 43213 

Northeast Ohio


August 4 – 8 | 3pm-6pm 
Locations TBD

You can drop off backpacks and school supplies at all Volunteers of America Thrift stores in the northeast Ohio area. Check our Thrift Store Directory for hours and locations. 

Brunswick 
1733 Pearl Road | Brunswick, Ohio 44212 

Mansfield 
1280 Park Avenue W | Mansfield, Ohio 44906 

North Olmstead 
27240 Lorain Road | North Olmsted, Ohio 44070 

Willoughby 
35101 Euclid Avenue | Willoughby, Ohio 44094 

Cincinnati & Dayton


50 East Freedom Way | Cincinnati, OH 45202

CINCINNATI
Eastgate 
4363 Eastgate Square Dr | Eastgate, OH 45245 

Fairfield  
7200 Dixie Highway | Fairfield, OH 45014 

Fields Ertel 
9591 Fields Ertel Rd | Loveland, OH 45140 

Colerain 
8760 Colerain Ave | Northgate, OH 45251 

Western Hills 
5744 Harrison Ave | Dent, OH 45248 

Florence 
5015 Houston Rd | Florence, KY 41042 

Cold Spring 
3710 Alexandria Pike | Cold Spring, KY 41076

DAYTON
Miamisburg
8245 Springboro Pike | Dayton, OH 45342 

Beavercreek 
2500 N. Fairfield Rd | Beavercreek, OH 45431  

Visit www.chpl.org for location hours at specific locations. 

Anderson Branch 
7450 State Rd. | Cincinnati, OH 45230  

Bond Hill Branch 
1740 Langdon Farm Rd. | Cincinnati, OH 45237  

Green Township Branch 
6525 Bridgetown Rd. | Cincinnati, OH 45248  

Harrison Branch 
10398 New Haven Rd. | Harrison, OH 45030  

Loveland Branch 
649 Loveland Madeira Rd. | Loveland, OH 45140  

Madeira Branch 
7200 Miami Ave. | Cincinnati, OH 45243  

Main Library (Downtown) 
800 Vine St. | Cincinnati, OH 45202  

Sharonville Branch 
10980 Thornview Dr. | Cincinnati, OH 45241 

Walnut Hills Branch  
2533 Kemper Ln. | Cincinnati, OH 45206  

Westwood Branch  
3345 Epworth Ave. | Cincinnati, OH 45211  

Indianapolis


8850 S Emerson Ave | Indianapolis, IN 46237   

Thank You to Our 2026 Operation Backpack® Partners

You help Ohio & Indiana kids reach for the stars in 2026!

Cincinnati Public Library Logo

Stay up to date!
Your kind heart helps children thrive.

Interested in organizing an Operation Backpack® campaign for your company or community group? Stay up to date with news and events for our 2026 campaign by signing up for email communications. 

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