Sydney Paige Foundation Holds an Open House

Contributing Photo/SPF

Eliza Khan and Federica Fregola, Staff Writers

   The Sydney Paige Foundation (SPF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Walnut Creek, held an open house on Jan. 30 at its warehouse to raise awareness for its efforts to provide high-quality backpacks and school supplies to children in under-resourced communities. Attendees participated in an auction to raise money for the foundation, and could vote to determine the foundation’s new design for the backpacks they plan to distribute to students in 2027. The event also served to educate attendees on the importance of the foundation’s cause and how community members can get involved.

   “[The open house] is for community awareness,” SPF Director of Operations Whitney Ramirez said. “We want to be sure that everybody knows we're here, and for those who want to get involved and help, the opportunity is there for them. We often hear people say, ‘I really want to help, but I don't know how.’ 
So, what we intended to do is to bring people in, and say, ‘this is how you can help.’”

   Courtney Brockmeyer founded the SPF when she realized that many low-income families are unable to afford school supplies, and schools are not always in a position to provide these supplies.   

   “[Brockmeyer] interviewed educators and asked, ‘Are supplies a problem for you guys?’ and everyone said ‘Yes, absolutely,’” Ramirez said. “When a child doesn’t have supplies, the teacher picks up the slack a lot of the time, which comes out of their pocket.”

   This issue led Brockmeyer to found the SPF in 2013. Initially a for-profit organization, the foundation expanded to a nonprofit in 2018 and now works with other companies and schools to achieve its goals.

   “The SPF started as a buy one, give one,” Ramirez said. “And then it was not happening as quickly as [Brothmeyer] wanted to, so she decided to shift gears and start partnering with large corporations who would hold employee engagement events. It was very much a win-win for everybody, as their employees were happy and proud of their company, and children in underserved areas were receiving the backpacks and supplies that they so desperately needed.”

   Today, the foundation’s operations primarily consist of assembling backpacks and school supply kits, a lot of which is done by volunteers. Last year, the foundation had approximately 500 volunteers.

   “My work includes organizing and cataloging donations, bundling books, packing grade-appropriate supplies into backpacks, and writing notes of encouragement for students,” SPF student volunteer and high school junior Anna Motes said. “This hands-on work ensures every backpack reaches a student who truly needs it.”

   As of 2026, the foundation has expanded on a national scale, reaching 42 states across the U.S. SPF has previously worked with companies like Kiwi Co. in supplying students with science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) kits. In the future, the foundation hopes to build up its literacy program as well through literacy kits for students without access to books.

   “We do have things in the wings that we would love to expand on,” Ramirez said. “Right now, it's really reaching as many kids as we can in what we do well, which is our backpacks and school supplies. But we do want to build up our literacy program, which is building literacy kits for kids who don't have books in their home.”

   Raising awareness for the organization and the cause has been the SPF’s largest challenge. The foundation hopes that by hosting events like the open house, others will be inspired to get involved in a variety of different ways.

   “You can start your own drive as a student, a company, which will benefit kids in whichever community you actually decide,” Ramirez said. “We can help you out and pick a school or a nonprofit to donate to, you can hold an employee engagement event, or you can start a club, which is something new we're going to be rolling out very soon.” 

   Although having engaged together in the past, Motes hopes to build a relationship between Acalanes and the foundation.

   “I hope to help establish a partnership between Acalanes and the Sydney Paige Foundation,” Motes said. “We are currently exploring opportunities to host a school supply drive or sponsor a pack event involving Acalanes students. My goal is to bring groups of students to the Sydney Paige warehouse regularly, strengthening the connection between our school community and outreach organizations like Sydney Paige while increasing student involvement in service.”

   The foundation emphasizes that when kids do not worry about having supplies, they can confidently focus on their learning and growth. 

   “Access to basic educational resources should never be a barrier to learning,” Motes said. “By working directly with schools and community-based organizations, the SPF ensures that students from kindergarten through grade 12 start the year with what they need not only to learn, but to feel confident doing so. Supporting students’ education early on helps create long-term opportunities and breaks cycles of inequality.”