When someone is released from prison, they often walk back into the world with only the clothes they are wearing and a small stipend for transportation. Love in a Backpack meets them at this vulnerable moment with a simple but powerful gesture of care: a backpack filled with essential personal care items, food, and a handwritten note of encouragement from a member of the community, reminding them they are not alone.
What began as a ministry serving women has grown in response to real needs. Today, we provide backpacks for both women and men, offer mobile phones to help people stay connected to family, services, and support, and serve individuals across multiple counties—carrying compassion, dignity, and hope wherever it is needed most.
How to get involved:
Come to a backpack filling event. Our next filling dates will be announced soon.
Show the video to your stakeholders
Purchase items directly from our wish list
Contribute backpacks and items to fill them
Wish List
Thank you for helping us fill backpacks with dignity, care, and hope. We welcome new, unused items whenever possible.
Send packages to:
Love in a Backpack
St. John’s Episcopal Church
Box 253
469 Main Street
Ashfield, MA 01330
Personal Care
- Brush and comb (or hair pick)
- Shampoo & conditioner (full size)
- Bar soap & hand sanitizer
- Lotion
- Deodorant
- Lip balm
Hygiene
- Toothbrush
- Wipes
- Tissue packs
- Tampons, pads, and liners
- Washcloth and small towel
- Dental floss
Accessories & Seasonal Items
- Hair bands, clips, or pins
- Small flashlight
- Winter hats
- Sunscreen
Reach out to program coordinator Jenny Burke
If your device is not set up to email from a link, copy the following address into the ‘to’ line of an email: luvinabackpack@gmail.com
Here’s the story…
This ministry of compassion began with an idea. Nell Todd, in her work for Deloitte, assessed the needs of those leaving incarceration. When we heard how important the first days are in this transition, and how under-supported women, in particular, tend to be, we began filling backpacks with much-needed items and including a note of support for women released from the Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Center in Chicopee. Deloitte has continued to support the program over the ensuing years.
An initial grant from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and a grant from the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, the project has stabilized and expanded to several Episcopal congregations and ecumenical partners.
The Franklin County Transition from Jail to Community Task Force (TJC) partners with St. John’s Church in Ashfield by filling backpacks and supplies for women and men who are being released from the Franklin County Jail.
Gift cards and financial donations can be mailed to: St. John’s Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 253, Ashfield, MA 01330. Write “TJC Backpack Project” on the memo line.
Members of the Franklin County Transition from Jail to Community Task Force (TJC) meet to fill backpacks in a Covidsafe outdoor location (Green River Recreation Area, Greenfield) in 2021. Click here for Greenfield Recorder’s story about it.
How to start LOVE in a Backpack in your congregation:
- See sample list of items needed for backpacks
- Join us in a backpack filling party, or fill your own packs for St. John’s correctional facility partners
- OR, find a a facilty to partner with in your area
Questions? Contact Jenny Burke, Program Coordinator
If your device is not set up to email from a link, copy the following address into the ‘to’ line of an email: luvinabackpack@gmail.com
Send packages to:
Love in a Backpack
St. John’s Episcopal Church
Box 253
469 Main Street
Ashfield, MA 01330