Esprit de Corps Foundation

Operation Serve - An annual EDC tradition

Back to School
Community Day.

A neighborhood day built around making sure families head into the school year supported, connected, and ready.

Back to School 2027 - August - Chicago

Get 2027 updatesHelp build the next one

See what happened in 2026

Why we do it

School supplies are the start.
Community is the point.

Back to School Community Day brings families, neighbors, businesses, nonprofits, public agencies, volunteers, and community leaders together for one day built around starting the school year stronger.

Backpacks and school supplies matter. So do health resources. Haircuts. Food. Family activities. Meeting an organization you didn’t know existed. Finding someone who can help. And seeing an entire neighborhood show up for its families.

That’s Operation Serve.

  • Supplies
  • Health
  • Family
  • Resources
  • Food
  • Connection

Year Two - 2027

We’re doing it again.

Year One showed us what can happen when a neighborhood and its partners come together. Now we’re building the next one. Prepping for the second weekend of August 2027 in Chicago.

I want to attend

Families and community members.

Get notified

I want to serve

Volunteer individually or bring a team.

Join the crew

I want to help build it

Businesses, nonprofits, public agencies, sponsors, and community organizations.

Partner with EDC

Before we build Year Two...

See what Chicago did in Year One.

  • 25+

    Community partners

  • 121

    Volunteer hours

  • 344+

    Backpacks + supplies

  • 1

    Neighborhood served

August 29, 2026 - Back of the Yards

Back to School Community Day 2026 in Back of the Yards
Volunteers and families at the 2026 Back to School Community Day

Year One

One day. One block.
One coalition.

  • Backpacks + school supplies
  • Free haircuts
  • Mobile vaccines
  • Food + refreshments
  • Family activities
  • Community resources
  • Neighbors meeting organizations that keep helping after the day ended
Meet the 2026 coalitionExplore 2026 photos

Year One in photos

You had to be there.

  • Back to School Community Day - scene 1
  • Back to School Community Day - scene 11
  • Back to School Community Day - scene 24
  • Back to School Community Day - scene 38
  • Back to School Community Day - scene 51
  • Back to School Community Day - scene 63
  • Back to School Community Day - scene 78
  • Back to School Community Day - scene 92
  • Back to School Community Day - scene 108
  • Back to School Community Day - scene 126

View all 2026 photos

The coalition

Nobody did this alone.

Year One happened because organizations across Chicago brought what they do best.

+ 19 more organizations
Esprit de Corps Foundation logo
Wells Fargo logo
Travis Manion Foundation logo
WBL Life Choices logo
Dreamcatcher Café logo

The people behind Year One

Some people carried more than their share.

Aldo - Wells Fargo portrait

Presenting Sponsor

Aldo - Wells Fargo

Capital, backpacks, team on the ground. Showed up when we asked and turned a plan into a coalition.

Ignacio - Dreamcatcher Café portrait

Venue Partner

Ignacio - Dreamcatcher Café

Marine veteran and neighborhood anchor. Opened his shop as the host location. The whole day happened because he said yes.

Indigo portrait

Community Outreach

Indigo

First major event as community outreach coordinator. Every partner call, every follow-up, every last detail on event day.

Operation Serve - The S in S.E.R.V.E.

Service doesn’t have to be complicated.

Sometimes it looks like packing a backpack. Setting up a table before sunrise. Cutting a kid’s hair. Handing someone lunch. Making an introduction. Staying until everything is cleaned up.

You show up.

See how we S.E.R.V.E.

Build 2027 with us

What can you bring?

Everybody has something. Pick the lane that fits and we’ll be in touch with the right next step.

Operation Serve

Start the year
together.

Back to School Community Day returns in 2027. Help us build it.

Get 2027 updatesHelp build it

An Operation Serve tradition from Esprit de Corps Foundation