As summer winds down across the Triangle, several community-minded organizations are already hard at work making sure local students have everything they need when the first school bell rings. ABC11 Together’s July 2026 Perspectives spotlight shines on a trio of uplifting initiatives — Back to School Durham, the Tools4Schools supply drive, and Backpacks for Kids — all rallying neighbors to support children heading back to the classroom.

Back to School Durham is bringing together volunteers and donors to ensure Durham students start the year equipped and confident. The effort is part of a broader wave of community generosity that also includes Tools4Schools, a supply drive collecting the pencils, notebooks, folders, and other essentials that teachers and students rely on every day. Rounding out the push is Backpacks for Kids, which puts filled backpacks directly into the hands of children who need them most.

Together, these three drives represent exactly the kind of neighbor-helping-neighbor spirit that makes the Triangle such a strong community. Whether families are donating a box of crayons or a full backpack of supplies, every contribution helps a local child walk through the school doors feeling prepared and valued.

ABC11 News featured all three initiatives as part of its ABC11 Together Perspectives series for July 2026, highlighting the volunteers and organizations making a real difference ahead of the new school year. If you’d like to get involved, keep an eye on local announcements from Back to School Durham, Tools4Schools, and Backpacks for Kids for drop-off locations and donation details — and consider joining the hundreds of Triangle residents already pitching in to give every child a great start.

Sources: ABC11 News