When students and teachers return to the classroom, having the right supplies can make a meaningful difference. This year, CVS Health and Aetna teamed up with community organizations and some of our sports partners - The Washington Spirit, Kansas City Current and the Boston Red Sox - to help students and their families start the school year with the resources, confidence, and support they need to thrive.
Backpacks represent more than just physical items. They help remove barriers to learning and send a powerful message to students and families that their community is invested in their success. Throughout the summer, hundreds of CVS Health and Aetna colleagues participated in back-to-school events—from Ohio to Seattle, Miami to Hartford, and beyond—that provided more than 5,000 backpacks filled with school supplies for students in need. The effort came to life through local collaborations across the country including:
- Rhode Island: 100 CVS Health colleagues packed 1,000 backpacks for local youth. The supplies were distributed through Connecting for Children & Families, the Hockomock Area YMCA, Empower LGA, Start Anew, Sojourner House, NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley, Federal Hill House and the Waltham Boys & Girls Club.
- Florida: Colleagues from Aetna and Aetna Better Health of Florida, along with CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic colleagues joined forces with Branches Inc. to support more than 250 students and family members during Branches Inc.’s annual Back-to-School Night in Florida City, Florida, preparing backpacks, school supplies and hygiene kits.
- New Jersey: CVS Health and Aetna Better Health of New Jersey colleagues joined HOPES Community Action Partnership to pack 500 backpacks. Local CVS Pharmacy teams also prepared 500 backpacks for distribution through the Meals on Wheels program in Ewing.
- Illinois: CVS Health and Aetna colleagues worked with the Chicago Park District and Chicago Parks Foundation to assemble and distribute school supplies during end-of-summer programming. CVS Health also donated backpacks and back-to-school items to residents of Grace Manor, an affordable housing property that CVS Health had invested more than $18 million towards the development in North Lawndale, Chicago.
- Maryland and Missouri: Working with the Washington Spirit and Kansas City Current soccer teams, colleagues teamed up to hand out backpacks at South Lake Elementary School in Maryland and The Ronald McDonald House and United Way in Kansas City.
Additionally, CVS Pharmacy sponsored a Teacher Supply Drive in Portland, Oregon. The initiative, created by KPTV-TV, Portland’s FOX affiliate, is designed to help local teachers and students prepare for a successful school year. Through a partnership with online nonprofit crowdfunding platform DonorsChoose, the community could support Portland-area teachers and their classroom wish lists during a live telethon and through DonorsChoose.org/FOX12.
CVS Pharmacy committed $5,000 in support while the community’s generosity helped fund more than 125 projects at more than 75 schools and raised more than $59,000 and counting. DonorsChoose facilitated the purchase and delivery of supplies to local schools, ensuring teachers and students received the educational resources and classroom essentials they needed for the school year. The support is especially important during back-to-school season, a time that can be financially challenging for many educators and families.
Although each of these events was unique, they all shared a common goal: helping students and their families start the school year with supplies and confidence. These back-to-school initiatives reflect a broader commitment to community connection that is central to CVS Health. Whether it's helping to improve access to health care, investing in community programs or supporting local classrooms, CVS Health remains focused on making a meaningful difference in the communities it serves—in this case, one student at time.
