News
GLENS FALLS, NY – On Thursday, August 21, Nemer Ford in Queensbury will become a hub of energy and compassion as more than 70 volunteers will gather to pack over 700 backpacks filled with brand new school supplies for local students in need.
This large-scale effort is part of Kids With Packs 2025, a back-to-school initiative spearheaded by Tri-County United Way in partnership with Nemer Motor Group, designed to ensure students in Warren, Washington, and Northern Saratoga Counties start the school year ready to learn with confidence and the tools they need to succeed.
Media Invite
WHAT: Kids With Packs – Community Assembly & Backpack Packing Day
WHEN: Thursday, August 21, 2025
TIME: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
WHERE: Nemer Ford, 323 Quaker Rd, Queensbury, NY
Distribution Begins Late August
After the ‘Community Assembly Day’, the following week, backpacks will be provided directly to local school district administrators. From there, school leaders will ensure they are placed into the hands of students identified as in need, just in time for the start of the 2025–2026 school year.
Why It Matters
Kids With Packs is a program focused on supporting Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) families, those who are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. These households often earn too much to qualify for public assistance, yet not enough to afford basic essentials.
- A single adult may need to earn $25,000–$35,000/year to meet basic needs.
- A family of four often needs $60,000–$85,000/year, depending on local costs.
These figures are derived from United For ALICE, a research initiative by United Way that calculates real-life survival budgets based on regional data. ALICE refers to a large portion of the population who are working yet still struggle to afford essential needs such as housing, childcare, food, transportation, healthcare, and technology. ALICE is not the same as poverty. Although ALICE households earn above the Federal Poverty Level, their income is still too low to meet the basic cost of living in their specific communities. As a result, they live with ongoing financial hardship despite being employed.
Tri-County United Way works in close partnership with local schools to distribute resources and provide targeted support to ALICE families. The Kids With Packs program reflects the strength of aligned local leadership across corporate, civic, and nonprofit sectors, all working together toward a shared goal.
Supported by a Coalition of Community Champions
This initiative is made possible through the generous support of numerous organizations and community leaders, including our lead partners: Nemer Motor Group, Charles R. Wood Foundation, Lions Club International, Lions Club of Glens Falls, Target, Arrow Bank, Checon, Flomatic Valves, Glens Falls Symphony, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks, JMZ Architects and Planners, Pioneer Charitable Foundation, The Post Star, The Hyde Collection, Amazon Granville Distribution Center, DJ Young Pete, and Travelers Insurance Agency as well as individual donors.
About Tri-County United Way: Tri-County United Way is an organization dedicated to helping people. We work to improve lives and make a positive impact in our communities by raising resources, both monetary and volunteer. We strive to do this through collaboration with others, encouraging volunteerism, and resolving community problems through identifying and communicating our community’s priority issues.
MEDIA CONTACT
Laura Jensen
[email protected]
Director of Community Engagement
P: 518.793.3136
C: 518.798.7428