St. Joseph’s Health Auxiliary Continues Tradition of Supporting Local Students Through Operation Backpack

SYRACUSE, N.Y.— For the 21st year, the St. Joseph’s Health Auxiliary is once again helping Central New York students prepare for the upcoming school year through its longstanding Operation Backpack program, an annual initiative that provides children with backpacks filled with essential school supplies.

Auxiliary members, hospital staff, and community volunteers gathered on Monday to organize donations of notebooks, paper, pencils, pens, crayons, rulers, folders, glue, and other classroom necessities. The supplies were packed into 850 backpacks which will be distributed to children receiving care through St. Joseph’s Health primary care offices.

“Operation Backpack is a meaningful way for us to support the health and well-being of children in our community,” said Rebecca Lerman, Auxiliary member and Chairperson of Operation Backpack. “Many of our families are working with very tight budgets. By providing students with the tools they need to succeed in the classroom, we can help ease some of the financial pressures families face during the back-to-school season, allowing them to use their limited resources for essentials like putting healthy food on the table. The Auxiliary is blessed to be in a position to help.”

The program has become a signature community outreach effort for the St. Joseph’s Health Auxiliary. It reflects their mission of serving the community and addressing needs beyond traditional healthcare. Through the generosity of donors and volunteers, the program continues to ensure that hundreds of children begin the school year prepared, confident, and ready to learn.

About St. Joseph’s Health Auxiliary

The St. Joseph’s Health Auxiliary traces its roots to 1870 when Hannah Pease and 45 local women formed the Ladies’ Aid Society to support Syracuse’s first hospital. Today, the Auxiliary is a volunteer-led organization dedicated to advancing the mission of St. Joseph’s Health through fundraising, community outreach and patient support programs. With more than 30 committees and service projects, the Auxiliary sponsors initiatives including Operation Backpack, the Colleague Food Pantry, Lighting the Way, emergency department clothing assistance, dementia patient support, refugee patient support, and nursing scholarships. Since the 1990s, the Auxiliary has contributed more than $10 million to support St. Joseph’s Health Hospital and its patients, continuing a longstanding tradition of service, compassion and community engagement.