Caring Causes: Office Depot Foundation National Backpack Program

Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.

The beginning of the school year is full of excitement - but for many families, also full of dread if they can't afford new school supplies. The Office Depot Foundation is hoping to change that, with the National Backpack Program, which has given away over 3 million backpacks and sackpacks since 2001.

The packs are simple, but useful, with colorful, kid-friendly designs that are non-branded. Each one has a pencil pouch with a pen, pencil, sharpener, eraser, small ruler, and crayons. They won't necessarily cover all the bases for school supplies on many school supply lists, but they provide the essentials.

You can learn more about the National Backpack Program and other charitable initiatives from office depot on Facebook or @OfficeDepotFndn.