Tribe Concludes Summer Backpack Distribution with Final Event in Thermal

The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians will distribute 500 backpacks filled with school supplies to Coachella Valley Unified School District students this evening, August 12th, concluding their summer-long community outreach effort.

The drive-through distribution begins at 6 p.m. at the school district offices located at 87225 Church Street in Thermal. Families must have at least one child present to receive a backpack containing essential supplies for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year.

This marks the fifth and final distribution event the tribe has organized this summer. Across all five locations, the tribe has donated more than 1,800 backpacks to elementary students in communities near their reservation lands throughout the Coachella Valley.

The school district will also receive an additional half-pallet of school supplies as part of the donation.

The distribution is scheduled to continue until supplies are exhausted or the event concludes.