Backpack Project

Our 2023 Backpack Project is currently underway! Please send donations by Monday, July 31st so we can bless North Korean refugee students and their families as they prepare for the back-to-school season this year! We are currently accepting monetary donations to cover the cost of giftcards for the students. 

The Backpack Project was launched in 2014 to encourage refugee students and families for the back-to-school season. Backpacks stuffed with school supplies, snacks, and encouragement notes were sent to all students from Pre-K to graduate students each summer until the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Our Backpack Project was modified since the pandemic to provide recipients with Amazon e-giftcards in order to meet diverse needs and unpredictable challenges for students across the nation. This program continues to reach over 40 students of all ages from Pre-K to graduate school students. Help make a lasting impact in the education and future of refugee students.

Stephen Gladstone was a high school freshman he and his brother Joshua came up with the idea to partner with PSALT and encourage North Korean refugee students. He initiated the "Backpack Project" through which North Korean refugee students receive new backpacks filled with school supplies and snacks at the start of each school year. Since then, Stephen and his family have continually partnered with PSALT to make a lasting impact in the lives of many North Korean refugees through this and other projects across the country. Many lives continue to be positively impacted by Stephen and his family, and we deeply grieve the loss of a genuinely compassionate and caring young man – a true friend to those in need.