A backpack to help S.F.’s homeless deal with hardships

People line up at the Navigation Center on Mission Street near 16th in San Francisco to receive Citypaks specially designed for the homeless by Chicago philanthropist Ron Kaplan, who was on hand for the distribution. less People line up at the Navigation Center on Mission Street near 16th in San Francisco to receive Citypaks specially designed for the homeless by Chicago philanthropist Ron Kaplan, who was on hand for the ... more Photo: Nathaniel Y. Downes, The Chronicle Photo: Nathaniel Y. Downes, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close A backpack to help S.F.’s homeless deal with hardships 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

Homelessness isn’t backpacking. It’s not military marching. But there are aspects of those things that can make a big difference to a penniless drifter, and a Chicago philanthropist has distilled those aspects into a boxy little creation that could be life-changing.

He has had a backpack designed specifically for the homeless. On Friday, he brought 400 of them to hand out for free in San Francisco.

Homeless people get a lot of free things, like food and clothes, but this sturdy, waterproof, multi-pocketed and security-conscious contraption is different. In its own way, it’s dignity, acknowledgment, freedom and engagement all rolled into one black bag.

The homeless men and women shaking creator Ron Kaplan’s hand when they picked up their useful freebie understood the Zen and the practicality of it all right away.

“Sa-weet!” exclaimed Audrey Rome, 26, as she admired her new pack at arm’s length. She poked through the many pockets inside and out, and pinched the outer fabric between her fingers.

“I come from a military family, so I get it,” Rome said. “The design is a bit like my dad’s duffel. It’s tough, to handle the elements. It’s designed thoughtfully, with durable stitching and compartments that are easily accessible. I camp all over the city. Believe me, this will make things a lot easier.

“And it looks a heck of a lot better than what I had before.”

Distributing backpacks

Kaplan, 64, and his team set up his distribution table at the city’s homeless one-stop-aid Navigation Center on Mission Street, near 16th Street, and earlier in the week they handed out 600 backpacks in Hayward, Oakland and Berkeley. This was the 44th city they’ve come to since the pack — called Citypak — was invented with High Sierra Sport Co. in 2012, and Kaplan was all ears for any suggestions for redesign. He got nothing but admiration.

A music booking agent for performers including Bonnie Raitt and Van Morrison, Kaplan came up with the backpack idea while helping poverty-relief causes through his SBK family foundation.

“I had found that every shelter in America gives out food, clothing, toiletries and the rest, but then homeless people put them in big black trash bags and say goodbye,” Kaplan said. “So I thought, why not create something that gives them more dignity, that helps them as they try to get their lives together?”

He knew the head of High Sierra, which like Kaplan is based in Chicago, so that’s where he turned for help. In the design phase he was shown pictures of World War II Army backpacks — tough, simple and not as bulky as the typical modern backpack, which practically screams homelessness when someone walks around the streets with it. That became the template.

Fitting tight to the back, with well-padded straps, the pack is made for hours of comfortable carrying. In a bottom pocket is a waterproof, military-style poncho that covers the entire person and backpack. Outside are loops of webbing through which a camper can insert an arm or leg, so the pack can’t be easily snatched away.

The Velcro straps on the entry flaps are extra wide, not only for good grip but to make a lot of noise if someone tries to open them to steal things.

Responding to suggestions

Each Citypak costs about $25 in materials and labor, paid for by Kaplan’s foundation and fundraising, with no profit to High Sierra.

“We’re always getting suggestions to make adjustments, so it’s changed as we go,” Kaplan said. “One suggestion was for a waterproof pocket inside so they could keep their vital papers dry, so we added that. Another, in Hawaii, was to make a bigger head hole because Polynesian people had bigger heads, so we did that.

“When I first started doing this, I thought I would just make about 200 and walk around Chicago handing them out,” he said. “Now, by the end of this year we will have given out 22,500 all over the country.”

The last time Mildred Tsen, 59, walked away from a shelter, everything she had was stuffed into two paper Macy’s bags. One was stolen out of her arms before she got one block.

“Wow, this is so much better than anything I’ve had,” she said, poking through the pockets of her Citypak to find the pair of socks the Navigation Center donated for every pack. “Now I can walk and not feel like I look like someone just carrying some broken bags.

“I can’t believe someone would actually make something specially for us,” Tsen said.

As he watched people stuff their new packs with clothes and papers, Kaplan also watched another other benefit of his project — case managers connecting with those new pack owners. One man agreed to go talk about housing while he transferred everything out of a Hefty bag.

‘More than just a bag’

“This isn’t just enabling people to be able to stay out on the street more — it’s giving them something made just for them, helps them feel less alone, and helps them feel like, ‘Hey, maybe I can go ahead and talk to these guys,’” said Navigation Center case manager Sherman Guo, who helps route people into housing and counseling. “Every little thing, every little bit of dignity we can offer, helps.

“This thing is more than just a bag.”