Families can ease the cost of back-to-school shopping with free backpacks and school supplies available at NYC community gardens this August.
At a Glance
- Back-to-school shopping can be expensive, but NYC families have a free option
- Children can pick up backpacks stocked with school essentials at upcoming community events
- Free supply giveaways are happening across the five boroughs this August
- Families should plan ahead since supplies are available on a first-come, first-served basis
Back-to-school season in New York City is always a mix of excitement and stress. However, this year, it’s feeling even tougher, with families stretching tight budgets to cover rising costs for backpacks, notebooks, and all the other school essentials, while trying to get everything ready in just a few short weeks! For many, even buying basic groceries and school supplies feels impossible.
According to a new analysis from Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation, families can expect to spend nearly $4,000 per child for the 2026–27 school year—about 10.7% more than last year. The report estimates that school supplies alone average about $175 per child.
Psst… Check Out This Grocery App Can Help Families Save Up to 70% on Food
The New York Restoration Project Is Giving Out Free School Supplies
The New York Restoration Project will be handing out 1,400 free backpacks filled with school supplies to New York City children at community gardens across all five boroughs, helping families offset the high cost of back-to-school shopping while also encouraging neighbors to enjoy the gardens in their own neighborhoods.
Each event has its own local flavor. Some events even include cooking demos from local chefs, and they’re all free to attend. Here’s the full schedule:
- Saturday, August 8: Westervelt Community Garden (St. George, Staten Island)
- Saturday, August 15: Mildred T. Rhodebeck Garden (Hunts Point, The Bronx)
- Saturday, August 15: Glover Street Community Garden (Castle Hill, The Bronx)
- Sunday, August 16: 50 Cent Community Garden (Jamaica, Queens)
- Friday, August 21: Essex Street Community Garden (Cypress Hills, Brooklyn)
- Saturday, August 22: Riley-Levin Children’s Garden (Inwood, Manhattan)
- Saturday, August 22: McLeod’s Community Garden (Brownsville, Brooklyn)
- Saturday, August 29: Home Depot Children’s Garden and Los Amigos Community Garden (East Harlem, Manhattan)
- Sunday, August 30: Eastchester Road Community Garden (Eastchester, The Bronx)
Supplies are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Children must be present to receive school supplies.
More Free Backpacks Coming to the Bronx and Brooklyn
NYC families have another chance to pick up free school supplies this August. Optimum and Warner Bros. Discovery will distribute nearly 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies at back-to-school events in the Bronx and Brooklyn. The celebrations will also include music, activities, and refreshments for local families.
The giveaways will take place at:
- Thursday, August 6: The Morrisania Revitalization Corporation, 576 B E 165th St., Bronx, from 11 am to 3 pm
- Tuesday, August 11: Kings Theatre, 1027 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn, from 11 am to 1 pm
Optimum will also donate $5,000 to the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club to support programs and resources for local children.
Psst… Check Out How to Beat the Back-to-School Blues
