Amelias Backpack Project Inc

From One Backpack to a Mission of Hope

In 2016, we got a call that changed our lives: a newborn in our family needed a home—immediately—or she'd enter the foster care system. At age 50, with grown daughters and no plan to start over, we said yes. We became foster parents to our great-niece, Amelia.

We quickly saw how children in crisis often leave their homes with nothing—sometimes just the clothes on their backs, carried in a plastic bag. Not every family is equipped to provide for a child on short notice. And so Amelia’s Backpack Project was born.

Our mission is simple: provide a new backpack filled with essential clothing and comfort items for children at the moment they are removed from their home. Each bag includes two outfits, socks, pajamas, and underclothes—packed by size and gender, ready for caseworkers to grab in an emergency.

Since our first delivery in 2021, we’ve expanded to serve children in Niagara, Erie and Orleans County (2025). We also have started providing backpacks for infants 0-6 months old.

Now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we’re growing—and we need your help. Your donation goes directly to children entering foster care in heartbreaking circumstances.

Every backpack offers dignity, comfort, and a sense of being seen.

Please join us in making sure no child enters care empty-handed.

With gratitude,

Phyllis, Ken & Amelia

To provide a backpack of their own filled with new clothes and other items to children transitioning from home to supervised care. To let them know they matter, are cherished, and are not alone on their journey.