December 3, 2015
For Immediate Release
2400+ Backpacks Custom Designed For Homeless
to be Distributed Throughout New York Area In February 2015
Not-for-profit The CITYPAK Project distributes backpacks to homeless throughout the country,
and works with local partners Don’t Walk By, Coalition for the Homeless, Covenant House, Holy
Apostles Soup Kitchen, The Relief Bus, and others to reach New York area persons in need.
New York, NY – The CITYPAK Project, working together with local partners Don’t Walk By
Manhattan, Coalition for the Homeless, Covenant House, Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, The Relief
Bus, and New Life Pantry and Homeless Ministry, is distributing over 2400 custom-designed
backpacks to New York area homeless in need throughout the month of February. Complete
distribution details are included below.
Designed by CITYPAK’s exclusive manufacturing partners High Sierra, the custom
backpacks provide a secure place for displaced citizens to hold their belongings, and feature a
spacious main compartment for a large amount of items, a hide-away poncho designed to keep
both the bag and its wearer dry, a ballistic nylon outer shell strong enough to combat the
elements, a synch-top closure for extra waterproofing and anti-theft measures.
The CITYPAK Project was founded by Philanthropist Ron Kaplan. Launched in 2012, more than
12,500 backpacks have been distributed in over 20 cities nationwide, with additional
communities being added each month. As Kaplan says, “Giving away backpacks isn’t the solution
to the complex issue of homelessness facing our country, but it’s something we can do to make
a small difference for people in this difficult situation.”
Today, The CITYPAK Project encourages its local distribution partners in each city to create
programs that use the donated CITYPAKs as incentives for their homeless clients. The programs
use a voucher system that trades program participation for a CITYPAK, thus encouraging
homeless in need to more fully engage with organizations and better utilize the resources
available to them.
The public can donate at www.citypak.org to provide a CITYPAK to a neighbor in need.
High Sierra also recently introduced PUBLICPAK—a daypack that gives back. Available to the
public via www.highsierra.com and in select retail locations, a portion of the proceeds from
PUBLICPAK help fund The CITYPAK Project.
New York Distribution Details
CITYPAK and Don’t Walk By will distribute 250 PAKs each Saturday in February, with additional
distributions on three consecutive Fridays - February 13, 20 and 27 – with Covenant House, Holy
Apostle Soup Kitchen, and New Life Community Development Corp, plus distributions via The
Relief Bus on the second and third Wednesdays and Saturdays in February, and throughout the
month of February at feeding sites serviced by the Coalition for the Homeless. All distribution
details are included below.
Saturday, February 7 6pm – 8pm – CITYPAK and Don’t Walk By servicing Downtown Manhattan
Outreach (all streets below 23rd St.) via New York Chinese Alliance Church (162 Eldridge St, NY,
NY 10002)
Wednesday, February 11 10am - 2pm Distribution at The Relief Bus servicing Bronx-Courtland
Outreach (152nd Street and Courtlandt Ave. Bronx, NY 10455)
Friday, February 13 – Distribution throughout the day at New Life Pantry and Homeless Ministry
(82-30 Queens Blvd. Elmhurst, Queens)
Saturday, February 14 10am-2pm – Distribution at The Relief Bus servicing Brook Ave Outreach
(148th Street and Brook Ave. Bronx, NY 10455)
Saturday, February 14 6pm – 8pm – CITYPAK and Don’t Walk By servicing Eastside Manhattan
Outreach (5th Ave. across to East River) via Fifth Ave Presbyterian Church (7 West 55th St. NY, NY
10019)
Wednesday, February 18 10am - 2pm Distribution at The Relief Bus servicing Bronx-Courtland
Outreach (152nd Street and Courtlandt Ave. Bronx, NY 10455)
Friday, February 20 11am – Distribution at Covenant House (460 W 41st Street NY, NY 10036)
Saturday, February 14 10am-2pm – Distribution at The Relief Bus servicing Brook Ave Outreach
(148th Street and Brook Ave. Bronx, NY 10455)
Saturday, February 21 6pm – 8pm – CITYPAK and Don’t Walk By servicing Westside Manhattan
Outreach (between 23rd St. & 110th St. and Westside across to 5th Ave.) via Calvary Baptist
Church (123 West 57th St. NY, NY 10019)
Friday, February 27 10:30am – 12:30pm – Distribution during lunch at Holy Apostles Soup
Kitchen (296 9th Avenue New York, NY 10001)
Saturday, February 28 6pm – 8pm – CITYPAK and Don’t Walk By servicing Uptown Manhattan
Outreach (everything above 110th St. through Inwood) via Bethel Gospel Assembly (2-26 East
120th St. New York, NY 10035)
***And throughout the month of February at two dozen feeding sites in Manhattan and the
southern Bronx serviced by the Coalition for the Homeless.
Fall 2014 CITYPAK Distributions:
United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple - Chicago, IL
Sinai Congregation - Chicago, IL
Heartland Alliance Chicago - Chicago, IL
Redemption Church & Caring Kitchen - Delray Beach, FL
Catholic Charities - Chicago, IL
Union Gospel Mission - Portland, OR
UUGP Teen Backpack Program - Grants Pass, OR
PADS of DuPage County - Wheaton, IL
New Orleans Mission - New Orleans, LA
Sojouner Truth Ministries - Williamsport, PA
Lake County PADS - North Chicago, IL
St Theresa Church - Kihei, Maui (and various locations on the island of Maui)
Seventh Day Adventists - Western Washington State (to include Tacoma and
Seattle)
*Additional distributions to be announced.
Connect with CITYPAK:
http://www.citypak.org/
https://www.facebook.com/CITYPAK
https://twitter.com/citypakproject
###
About The CITYPAK Project:
The CITYPAK Project is a not-for-profit philanthropic organization that works to provide custom
designed backpacks to homeless persons in need. Working with exclusive manufacturing partner
High Sierra, The CITYPAK Project has distributed over 12,500 PAKs to homeless throughout the
United States, including Chicago, Illinois; Boulder, Colorado; Maui, Hawaii; Austin, Texas; San
Jose and Venice, CA, and others.
Founded by Chicago businessman and philanthropist Ron Kaplan in 2012, The CITYPAK Project
provides a safe, convenient and versatile backpack uniquely designed to meet the constantly
changing needs of the homeless. Inspired by the simple desire to create something that would
make life on the streets of Chicago a little easier, Kaplan shared his idea with the design team at
the international adventure travel gear manufacturer High Sierra. Today, with the help of High
Sierra and a growing list of corporate and individual donors and a variety of local and regional
non-profit partners, The CITYPAK Project distributes CITYPAKs in growing list of cities across the
U.S. The ongoing goal: to design and provide a useful, high quality backpack for the homeless.
www.citypak.org
About High Sierra:
A division of Samsonite LLC, High Sierra designs feature-rich, versatile outdoor lifestyle gear for
adventurers everywhere. Since our founding in 1978, we’ve committed ourselves to creating
durable, affordable product with distinctive details, delivering the freedom to go anywhere—
near or far, on roads or trails, on mountain ridges or snowy slopes, no matter what form your
adventure takes. In 2012, High Sierra formed a design partnership with the Chicago-based
CITYPAK Project [501(c)(3)] to create purposeful, utilitarian backpacks for the homeless. High
Sierra is also proud to be the Official Bags supplier to the U.S. Ski, U.S. Snowboarding and
U.S. Freeskiing teams. High Sierra. Adventure This Way. www.highsierra.com
Don’t Walk By
Don’t Walk BY (DWB) is an annual homeless outreach campaign that seeks to mobilize regular
New Yorkers in a search and rescue mission to offer every homeless man and woman in
Manhattan food, warm clothing, blankets, and an opportunity for an alternative to life on the
streets by entering a shelter or residential program. http://dontwalkby.org
For more information about The CITYPAK Project:
LiveLoud
303.413.8308
Carrie Lombardi / carrie@liveloudco.com