Leaders of Columbia's Voluntary Action Center say they've had to raise prices for their annual back to school backpack program due to inflation.
Each year, Boone County residents within the 200% of the federal poverty limit can purchase backpacks full of pencils, folders and other essentials. Last year, each backpack cost $13. They're $15 this year — an increase of about 15 percent, year over year. That's as U.S. prices increased just less than 3 percent in the last 12 months, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
VAC Chief Development Officer Stacie Pottinger said they’d rather charge more than sacrifice quality or quantity of supplies.
“We don’t want to cut the supplies down...so that the kids don’t feel like they have enough of what they need,” Pottinger said.
What fills each backpack is based on feedback from local teachers. Donors help offset some of the costs by giving to the agency.
Pottinger doesn't think tariffs were part of this year's price difference, which came primarily from more expensive backpacks.
"That wasn't an impact on us because the supplier that we use had secured the items before any tariffs came into play," Pottinger said.
Pottinger said the total number of backpacks available each year has not changed in her time at VAC, remaining around 800.
As of 12:30 p.m. Monday afternoon — the first day backpacks were available — about 40% of clients visiting the center had requested them.
According to Pottinger, demand is highest near the beginning of the program, with VAC rarely having to turn residents away due to lack of backpacks. Typically, backpacks are given out through the entire length of the program, which this year runs from July 25 through August 29.