Schools, organizations, religious groups and local merchants are invited to join Family Life International and its Hugs Not Drugs® Program in the 2007 First Annual National Backpack Giveaway Program. Starting immediately, this charitable program's goal is to benefit your community's underprivileged, elementary school children, by providing Backpacks, filled with school supplies, to be donated by generous local merchants.

For the last 5 years, Family Life International, Inc. has sponsored an ongoing Backpack Giveaway Program, benefiting elementary school children in low income, at-risk communities near its South Florida Headquarters. Thousands of Backpacks, filled with necessary school supplies along with Hugs Not Drugs® items, are distributed each year to children in need.

School starts soon. Those participating schools, organizations, and religious groups will want to immediately select their Backpack Liaison(s) and register quickly with FLI,Inc. Headquarters. Ask your Volunteer Project Leader for a registration letter and form, or download the registration form at www.hugsnotdrugs.com.

Organization and school registrants should provide to the Volunteer Project Leader a list of students recommended to receive free Backpacks. The goal is to provide Backpacks for students in need, but, keep in mind; local merchants may only be able to supply a limited number for this first event. Please remember, these Backpacks are not rewards for the best students, but meant to help those "most in need".

Participating organizations and schools are invited to include all elementary students in our Hugs Not Drugs® Poster Contest. Students chosen to receive Backpacks will submit their Hugs Not Drugs® poster to the designated local store, as their "claim ticket" for a Backpack. All other posters should be mailed to our Hugs Not Drugs® Florida headquarters. One poster from each grade will be chosen to receive a Hugs Not Drugs® Survival Kit. Please make certain each child's name, grade, school and teacher is written on the back of their poster. Prizes will be mailed to the school.

Local merchants, who generously join this community effort, will donate backpacks (no minimum) to the Project. These Backpacks will be filled with school supplies, i.e., pencils, scissors, erasers, rulers, notebooks, a Hugs Not Drugs® Button, and a Hugs Not Drugs® Bumper Sticker. As this project is new, it's impossible to anticipate, or guarantee, how many Backpacks local merchants will donate.

As part of the Volunteer Project Leader's commitment, a public service announcement will be issued to major local media, as soon as possible, listing participating merchants.

If you need further help, please contact the FLI, Inc. Headquarters at 800-700-6697. All forms and letters explaining the Backpack Giveaway Program are on the charity's website at www.hugsnotdrugs.com. With your valuable participation, we look forward to rolling out our 2007 First Annual National Backpack Giveaway Program. Our children are our future. Let's help them prepare for their future by giving them today necessary tools for educational and personal success.

You can download the documents below to help you get started. 

School or organization Letter

Merchant Letter 

Sample Local Press Release