San Jose nonprofit gives school supplies to 3,500 students

Inequity remains a growing issue in Santa Clara County, but one nonprofit is trying to help.

For families struggling to make ends meet, backpacks and school supplies can be out of reach. Sacred Heart Community Service — which tackles the systemic roots of poverty by offering essential service safety net services such as food aid, family support and housing assistance — is stepping up to provide backpacks filled with school supplies to 3,500 students.

“With the cost of living, the cost of groceries and gas, having to shell out for school supplies is a big expense for families,” Demone Carter, spokesperson for Sacred Heart, said. “This program alleviates that. We only wish we could do it for more folks.”

He said the government and community need to ensure students across income levels have access to quality education.

“We’re seeing school closures. We’re seeing programs like our Summer Academy program facing funding cuts,” he told San José Spotlight. “Wealth and prosperity is not being shared across the community, and it creates real problems. We have to come together as a community and say, ‘Do we value equity in sharing the success and the wealth that this region creates, or are we okay leaving certain folks behind?'”

In 2024, the Silicon Valley Pain Index showed nine households held $110 billion in liquid wealth — 12 times more than the bottom 50% of households in the region.

Of Santa Clara County’s more than 10,000 homeless residents, 21% are families with children, according to the 2025 Silicon Valley Pain Index. More than 2,200 San Jose students are experiencing homelessness — a threefold increase since 2020. An estimated 54,582 low-income households in San Jose don’t have access to affordable housing, according to the index.

Assemblymember Ash Kalra said state lawmakers are placing a housing bond on the ballot to raise funds to shelter homeless families.

“We’re talking about billions of dollars that can go to actually building permanent affordable housing for the long term,” he told San José Spotlight.

District 2 San Jose Councilmember Pamela Campos said additional funding is needed to create affordable housing for all income levels, especially to house vulnerable residents. She told San José Spotlight the city is partnering with an unnamed school district on a pilot program to identify its number of homeless students and families and provide them with affordable housing assistance.

Campos said the city budget for 2026-27 includes $920,000 to implement the Children and Youth Services Master Plan. The City Council separately budgeted for the Family, Friend, and Neighbor caregiver support network, San Jose’s Youth Empowerment Summit and connecting South San Jose families with health and community resources.

Vivian Le, director of community development for Sacred Heart Community Service, said backpacks are a necessity as school closures cause students to walk further distances. Le said it adds to a youth’s self-esteem. Sacred Heart’s recent annual report shows when basic needs are met early, it bridges the achievement gap and boosts classroom attendance.

“It is their dignity. It is the peace of mind that allows them to focus on their classwork,” Le said. “When we give a child a backpack, we aren’t just handing over paper and pencils. You are supporting a community united to ensure every child is free from poverty and has an equal opportunity to thrive.”

Elizabeth Hernandez, who is attending Mission College in the fall, said being prepared helped her succeed in school because she was organized and able to take notes and turn in her homework on time. It also buoyed her emotionally.

“Having school supplies …  I can do my work and not stress about school,” she said.

Kalra said every child deserves to start the school year with the tools they need to succeed, learn and walk into a classroom with their head held high.

“Step up for our children, give if you can,” he said. “So that no child ever has to start the school year empty-handed.”

Contact Lorraine Gabbert at [email protected].