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2026 Beyond the Backpack Recap

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Girl wearing a blue visor blows giant bubbles while a boy in a yellow shirt creates bubbles outdoors at a festival.

The Community Impact Network, in partnership with the Normandy Schools Collaborative and Beyond Housing, hosted the annual Beyond the Backpack back-to-school event on August 8, 2026. This year’s event reached a record number of attendees, welcoming nearly 2,000 individuals receiving services and resources to reduce stress for families during this season. 

Community Impact Network’s President and CEO, Neosha Franklin, shared: “The Network is honored to serve the 24:1 community. When we were asked to lead Beyond the Backpack this year, saying yes was an easy decision. I’m deeply grateful to every volunteer, sponsor and partner who helped make this our largest Beyond the Backpack event yet.” 

Families were able to access a wide range of services right at their neighborhood middle school, including: 

The impact of these services was significant. More than 1,800 backpacks filled with school supplies and 800 pairs of new Reebok shoes were distributed. Barbers and hairstylists served 70 students, helping them feel confident and ready to learn. Providers from IFM Community Medicine performed 36 health exams and offered required vaccinations as needed. 

Beyond these direct services, the event connected families with additional resources and organizations serving children and families throughout the 24:1 community. We welcomed 25 community organizations and eight early childcare centers participating in the Community Impact Network’s Programs Achieving Quality (PAQ) initiative to the event to share information, resources and opportunities with families. 

Beyond the Backpack is a powerful example of what is possible when organizations come together around a shared commitment to children and families. Our collaboration with partners, including Nurses for Newborns, Every Childs Hope, and municipalities within the 24:1, allowed us to distribute 200 additional backpacks to children in the days following the event.

The Community Impact Network extends its deepest gratitude to the 167 volunteers who helped make this event possible; our sponsors, Ameren and Equifax; the Normandy Police Department; the Normandy Schools Collaborative; and all our resource vendors for partnering with us on another impactful Beyond the Backpack. 

Resource vendors included:

Volunteers in neon vests handing out cleared backpacks and supplies at an outdoor charity event with boxes in the background, smiling volunteers.
Rows of colorful backpacks with printed designs on a table at an outdoor event, with people standing in the background.
Staff member at a red information desk assisting a customer with a clear backpack; yellow and teal tiled wall behind them.
Clinician in a mask and magnifying headlamp, wearing blue gloves, examines a child with a red dental tool in a clinic setting.

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