Back2Basics fills backpacks for students

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Opportunity Council is making sure Island County students have one thing checked off their back-to-school lists: a backpack filled with the supplies they need.

The Back2Basics school-supply drive is accepting signups through Aug. 24 for students in kindergarten through 12th grade in the Oak Harbor and Coupeville school districts seeking supplies.

The drive is also adapting how it collects donations. After Opportunity Council could not use its usual Walmart fundraising partnership this year, organizers have turned to an Amazon wish list, monetary donations and community drop-off sites.

The program has been helping local students for about 26 years, according to Jay Rios, lead for Opportunity Council’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families program. Back2Basics is open to any student from kindergarten through high school, regardless of household income. It focuses mainly on offering supplies for Coupeville and Oak Harbor School District students because the South End has its own similar program, Rios said.

Last year, Back2Basics school-supply drive provided more than 200 backpacks filled with supplies. This year, nearly 100 students had already registered with two weeks remaining in the sign-up period.

Community members can donate backpacks and school supplies at eight listed locations, purchase requested items through the Amazon wish list or make a monetary contribution.

Wired headphones are among the most-needed items, Rios said, as schools increasingly request them for students using Chromebooks. Other requested supplies include backpacks, water bottles, lunchboxes, binders, folders, pencils, pens, notebooks and other classroom basics.

Rios said his goal is to make the beginning of the school year feel less stressful for children and their families.

“The most important thing is just to ensure that every kid has that opportunity to enjoy school without any of the additional stressors, especially for the family,” Rios said.

The Back2Basics effort is supported by community partners including Toys for Tots, the Windermere Foundation, Lions Clubs and Puget Sound Energy.

Families who want to be recipients can sign up by visiting the Opportunity Council office at 231 SE Barrington Drive, Suite 100, in Oak Harbor, calling 360-679-6577 or using the program’s online signup option. Rios said the organization will continue preparing extra backpacks for students who miss the Aug. 24 deadline and leftover supplies will be distributed to schools after the school year begins so districts can direct them where they are most needed.

Drop-off locations are: the Opportunity Council office; KeyBank at 90 SE Pioneer Way; Housing Authority at 7 NW 6th St. in Coupeville; Skagit Farmers Country Store at 31686 Highway 20; Ace Hardware at 150 SE Pioneer Way; Prism Laser & Aesthetics at 1121 SE Dock St.; Blue Fox Drive-In at 1403 N. Monroe Landing Road; and Team Jackson, CMG Home Loans at 860 SE Bayshore Drive, Suite 101.

More information and donation options are available through Opportunity Council’s Back2Basics page. All Amazon purchases will deliver items straight to the Opportunity Council office.