ShinShin Volunteer Events: Family Giving Tree - August 2 & 3, 2022
Family Giving Tree (FGT) is the largest holiday gift and backpack donation program in California.
This organization has been established for over 30 years, and commits to being of service to students in need.
FGT runs two major programs: Holiday Wish Drive and Back-to-School Drive. During the first
week of August, ShinShin Youth joined a few shifts of Back-To-School Drive events.
Firstly, the FGT staff briefly introduced their programs as well as the tasks that we would
perform during our stay. The volunteers were divided into three groups, each assigned to
assemble backpacks by grade level ranges: grades K-2, grades 3-5, and grades 6-12.
The volunteers are required to fill assorted backpacks with brand new school supplies, such as
folders, color pencils, whiteboards, notebooks, and even earbuds, each sorted to the proper
grade level. The backpacks were very thoughtfully arranged with a variety of colors and
designs, and each backpack “kit” was filled with every supply a student could ask for.
According to The Family Giving Tree, a startling one out of every four children here in the Bay
Area lives in poverty. FGT’s Back-To-School program aims to relieve the financial burden for
parents to ensure that 26,000 Bay Area students per year have the essential school supplies to
start the school semester. We are very proud to be part of this project, and to be fulfilling FGT’s
vision to help students in need.
Family Giving Tree (FGT) is the largest holiday gift and backpack donation program in California.
This organization has been established for over 30 years, and commits to being of service to students in need.
FGT runs two major programs: Holiday Wish Drive and Back-to-School Drive. During the first
week of August, ShinShin Youth joined a few shifts of Back-To-School Drive events.
Firstly, the FGT staff briefly introduced their programs as well as the tasks that we would
perform during our stay. The volunteers were divided into three groups, each assigned to
assemble backpacks by grade level ranges: grades K-2, grades 3-5, and grades 6-12.
The volunteers are required to fill assorted backpacks with brand new school supplies, such as
folders, color pencils, whiteboards, notebooks, and even earbuds, each sorted to the proper
grade level. The backpacks were very thoughtfully arranged with a variety of colors and
designs, and each backpack “kit” was filled with every supply a student could ask for.
According to The Family Giving Tree, a startling one out of every four children here in the Bay
Area lives in poverty. FGT’s Back-To-School program aims to relieve the financial burden for
parents to ensure that 26,000 Bay Area students per year have the essential school supplies to
start the school semester. We are very proud to be part of this project, and to be fulfilling FGT’s
vision to help students in need.
