Community Education

Food Backpacks 4 Kids clothing drive is coming up. Here’s where to donate

Generous donors are filling up drop sites throughout Gig Harbor with gently used and new items that will be free to shoppers during the 2024 Food Backpacks 4 Kids Community Clothing Drive & Giveaway on Aug. 23-25.

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Donations are being accepted through Aug. 11.

FB4K took over the event four years ago after coordinating with Peninsula Communities in Schools, said Michelle Johnson, director of communications for FB4K. In those days, the drive collected items and distributed them to families in need at Evergreen Elementary School on the Key Peninsula.

Plenty to go around

“When COVID hit, it became a question of how to do this, and we absorbed all of it and said, just open it up to the whole community,” Johnson said. 

She posted on social media groups and reached out to people who were having garage sales to ask for any unsold items. The response was overwhelming.

They moved distribution to the Key Peninsula Civic Center and invited everyone to come help keep items out of landfills and support sustainability. Johnson said the drive collects plenty to go around, and there are no restrictions on who can shop during the giveaway event.

But each year, there is a need for men’s and boys’ clothing.

“We have talked to families, and men seem to hang onto their clothes, so we don’t get as much donated. And the boys tend to be a little harder on their clothes, so the men’s and boys’ sections (at the giveaway) are significantly less than the rest,” she said.

The Kids’ Dentist in Gig Harbor has collected bags full of clothing donations for the Food Backpacks 4 Kids clothing drive and giveaway event. Photo courtesy of Nicole Buttitta

Donation sites

The Kids’ Dentist in Gig Harbor has supported the nonprofit organization since 2020. It is a drop-off site for donations, said Nicole Buttitta, marketing coordinator for the dentistry. 

“Dr. Dansie and the team at The Kids’ Dentist in Gig Harbor are deeply inspired by the mission of FB4K, and wholeheartedly support their efforts to help families in need,” she said. “Our patients’ families and our staff have been very responsive to support this clothing drive. People have mentioned that they did not want to get rid of their clothes unless it was a good cause, and they saw the flyer and were so excited to help.”

TAPCO Credit Union also has partnered with FB4K and helped with food drives and clothing drives since 2022, said Branch Manager Nicole Dillon. 

“The response this year has been outstanding,” she said. “We are always astonished how strongly the community comes out for this event. I think it’s the knowledge that the clothing will stay local, and help the Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula community that motivates people to donate.”

The Gig Harbor branch of TAPCO Credit Union is a collection site for the Food Backpacks 4 Kids clothing drive. Branch manager Nicole Dillon said the bin there is overflowing with donations. Photo courtesy of Michelle Johnson

About 12 volunteers work with FB4K each week to sort donations at nine locations, including seven in Gig Harbor. The number of volunteers will jump to around 50 when the doors open for the event. 

“At the end, our goal is not to have anything left,” Johnson said.

Food Backpacks 4 Kids clothing drive

When: Donations are accepted through Aug. 11.

Where: Clothing and accessories may be dropped off at:

• • Best Western, 6575 Kimball Drive
  • Harbor Christian Center Office, 3781 Rosedale St.
  • The Kids’ Dentist, 3316 56^th St., Suite 100
  • St. John’s Episcopal Church, 7701 Skansie Ave.
  • Starbucks, 6978 Kimball Dr. and 5151 Borgen Blvd.
  • TAPCO Credit Union, 7109 Pioneer Way

Drop-off sites on the Key Peninsula include Purdy Costless Pharmacy, 14218 92^nd Ave. NW; Waypoint North Church, 12719 134^th Ave. NW; and Key Peninsula Lutheran Church, 4213 Lackey Road NW.