FILLED WITH PURPOSE: Our Buy a Bag, Give a Bag Initiative

We promised to build more than the best bag. From our start, we sought to find creative ways to give back to our local communities and make a positive change in the world. Thus, our Buy a Bag, Give a Bag initiative, emerged. This giving program allows us to donate a kids school backpack for every VESSEL bag sold. Over ten years later, this initiative continues to be an integral part of our identity. 

To find communities that are in urgent need of these backpacks, we lean on several charitable partnerships and nonprofit organizations. From local foundations like homeless shelters and food banks, to worldwide organizations that raise awareness for social issues, educational needs, disaster relief, and more. By partnering with other organizations, we can efficiently supply backpacks and necessities on a larger scale. 

With the help of great partners like World Vision, Ronald McDonald House Charities, schools and religious organizations, over 80,000 children have received a school backpack as of 2021. As this number grows, we are continually grateful for the support we receive from nonprofit partners, local charities, and of course, our customers. 

Common Questions 

How can I tell if my VESSEL bag has helped donate a school backpack? 

Take a peek inside one of your bag’s pockets! From our travel bags to our golf and tennis gear, every VESSEL bag has a small metal plate engraved with a serial number. This number represents the school backpack you’ve donated to a child in need.

Why school backpacks versus cash donations? 

Monetary donations can always help communities, however, those donations are still used to purchase physical necessities like clothing, food, and bags to hold these supplies. By cutting out the middleman and manufacturing these school backpacks ourselves, the donation process becomes more streamlined. Therefore, allowing us and our partners to efficiently distribute school backpacks. 

But apart from logistics, something as simple as a school backpack can make a large impact. Young people from low-income families now have a new item to call their own. Those in foster care or homeless shelters now have a reliable place to store their belongings. Patients in pediatric hospitals can receive care kits with items to brighten their day. These kids backpacks extend beyond utility--they can provide a little sense of security for people in difficult circumstances. 

VESSEL family, do you know of any charitable organizations or a good cause that could benefit from receiving kids’ school backpacks? 

Here are some creative ways these backpacks can help: 

• Low-income communities: fill backpacks with non-perishable food, water, blankets, hygiene products, socks, small houseware, etc.
• Women’s shelters: fill backpacks with feminine products, hygiene essentials, diapers, baby formula, etc. 

• Homeless relief efforts: fill backpacks with non-perishables, water, blankets, clothing, socks, rain gear, pet food, etc. 
• Education in low-income communities (domestic and international): fill backpacks with notebooks, pencils, erasers, scissors, small reading books, etc. 
• Adoption centers and foster care: clothing, books, laptops for school, toys, blankets, hygiene products, etc. 
• Pediatric Hospitals: undergarments, socks, blankets, Halloween costumes, coloring books, crayons, markers, toys, school supplies, etc. 
• Disaster Relief: water bottles, protein bars, radio, flashlights, first aid kits, batteries, can opener, cell phone with charger, blankets, etc. 
• LGBT+ organizations: books, laptops for school, transportation cards, hygiene products, etc. 

Connect with our team to learn more about our Buy a Bag, Give a Bag program and how to partner: info@vesselbags.com