Gorham BackPack Program

09/30/2026

October Toiletry Drive

The BackPack Program of Gorham is collecting toiletries all month long for students in our community. Every item goes straight into the weekend bags our students take home.

Urgently needed:
2-in-1 shampoo & conditioner
Soap
Toothpaste
Chapstick
Deodorant

Drop off or ship to:
Gorham Middle School
106 Weeks Road, Gorham, ME 04038
c/o Heather Whitaker & The BackPack Program

💚 Prefer to make a monetary donation? Donate online through our partner Full Plates Full Potential at fullplates.org/pantry-donation. Checks can be made out to Gorham School Department (memo: "The Backpack Program of Gorham") and mailed to Hollis Cobb, Finance Officer, 75 South Street, Gorham, ME 04038.

🥨 And don't forget snacks! We are always in need of single-serve snacks like pretzels, Cheez-Its, Goldfish, Nutri-Grain bars, and granola bars. Thank you for helping us keep backpacks full!

09/17/2026

Shout Out to Alpha Delta Kappa & Jeffery Ballard!!!

A huge thank you to two incredible supporters of the BackPack Program! Jackie Leeper and Alpha Delta Kappa collected two full trunk loads of donations at their very first meeting of the year, a generous tradition they keep up every fall, with the big drop-off happening at GMS this Wednesday morning. And a big thank you to Jeff Ballard, who launched a creative fundraiser offering free pickup and delivery of old trash cans to Public Works for recycling, asking only for a donation to the program in return, raising over $1,000 while keeping cans out of the waste stream and helping neighbors along the way. Thank you both for all you do to support Gorham students!

Send a message to learn more

09/06/2026

UPDATE- We have enough volunteers to make the deliveries possible this week. Thank you to everyone who reached out and shared the message! 

URGENT VOLUNTEER NEED — BackPack Program

We're packing our first BackPack Program bins of the year this Wednesday! (Not our usual Tuesday, because of the holiday.)

We have wonderful volunteers lined up to pack, but we are urgently in need of a few people who can pick up the bins and deliver them to Village, GHS, Narragansett, and Great Falls. You'll need a truck or larger vehicle to help transport them.

You can pick up at our scheduled packing time of 9:45 AM on Wednesday at GMS, OR anytime during the school day that works better for you. Just plan the timing directly with Heather.

If you can help get these bins where they need to go, please message Heather Whitaker at [email protected].

Our students are counting on us!

08/22/2026

A huge thank you to Westbrook, Maine Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. for your generous donation of four boxes filled with school supplies for middle school and high schoolers! This was a much-needed boost to our donation drive, which will continue through next week. Thank you so much YAP! 

08/16/2026

We received our first donation for our back to school snack and school supplies drive. Thank you Bob Cook- and he said there’s some more coming! 

08/14/2026

As our students head back to school, we want every single one of them to feel ready and supported. The good news is that school supplies for our elementary students have been donated. But right now, we have nothing for our middle and high school students in need, and the food closet at Gorham High School is completely empty.

If you're able to help, we'd be so grateful for donations of school supplies for our middle and high schoolers, and food closet items to help restock GHS.

School Supplies Needed:
Folders • 1" & 1.5" Binders • Tab Dividers • Elmer's Glue & Glue Sticks • Colorful Markers • 1 Subject Notebooks • Index Cards • Colorful Construction Paper • Black Sharpies • Adult Scissors • Disinfecting Wipes • Kleenex • Water Bottles

GHS Student Fridge & Pantry Needs:
Cheez-Its • Pirate B***y • Granola Bars • Capri Sun • Fruit Snacks • Individual Goldfish • Mac and Cheese Cups • Trail Mix Packets • Smart Food Bags • Cereal Boxes • Pudding Cups • Ramen • Juice Boxes • Spaghettios • Microwave Popcorn • Bowls & Utensils • Individual Pretzels • Deodorant • Chapstick

Items can be dropped off at Gorham Middle School, 106 Weeks Road, Gorham, ME, c/o Heather Whitaker & The Backpack Program.

Thank you for helping us make sure every Gorham student starts this year feeling ready and please share! 💙

www.GrowGiveGorham.org

08/03/2026

There are so many reasons why your donations matter, and today is another one. A social worker from our school district reached out because a family is in need of an emergency supply of food for their child. We pack extra summer boxes just for this reason, and because of your donations during the school year, we’re able to provide this extra bit of help when it’s needed.

Stay tuned, we’ll be sharing our August call for donations soon. It will focus on a few basic school supplies, plus our big collection for the Gorham High School food closet, part of the BackPack Program.

06/06/2026

What a week! Thanks to the incredible generosity and teamwork of our Gorham community, we were able to fully supply summer boxes for 60 students. When this community comes together, amazing things happen!

To everyone who shows up all year long, from taking inventory, shopping, packing, delivering, organizing, spreading the word, and pouring your heart into this work in ways big and small: you are the reason this program exists and thrives. We are so grateful for each and every one of you.

06/01/2026

We are so grateful for the generosity of our community! Thank you to everyone who has already donated or dropped off items for our Summer Boxes.

If you have a donation at home, please drop it off at Gorham Middle School as soon as possible. We are currently taking inventory and identifying any remaining needs before we begin packing this week.

If you are still interested in donating, please reach out to Heather Whitaker ([email protected]) directly to find out what is still needed.

Thank you for helping us make sure our kids have what they need this summer!

Each year, students who receive the BackPack Program are sent home at the end of the school year with a box of non-perishable food items. This support helps families bridge the gap as school meal programs come to an end for the summer.

You can support by:
🥫 Donating individually
⚽ Organizing a collection through a sports team or club
🏢 Collecting items at your business or office
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Sharing with family and friends

We have created a Sign Up Genius with suggested items that can be purchased and donated.
📱 Scan the QR code to sign up!
🔗 The link to the Sign Up Genius will also be posted in the comments.

Every donation makes a difference for local students and families. Please consider helping and SHARE this post widely so we can reach as many people as possible before June 1st. ❤️

05/11/2026

Each year, students who receive the BackPack Program are sent home at the end of the school year with a box of non-perishable food items. This support helps families bridge the gap as school meal programs come to an end for the summer.

You can support by:
🥫 Donating individually
⚽ Organizing a collection through a sports team or club
🏢 Collecting items at your business or office
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Sharing with family and friends

We have created a Sign Up Genius with suggested items that can be purchased and donated.
📱 Scan the QR code to sign up!
🔗 The link to the Sign Up Genius will also be posted in the comments.

Every donation makes a difference for local students and families. Please consider helping and SHARE this post widely so we can reach as many people as possible before June 1st. ❤️