Salvation Army to distribute school supplies

Students in need will soon be getting a backpack full of school suppl ies from the Salvation Army.

The supplies will be paid for, in part, by the money people drop into the ket t les at Christmas time, said Tina Crawford, the social services director for the Salvation Amy.

Kindergartners through eighth-graders who are eligible will get supplies including pens, pencils, crayons, markers, notebooks, protractors and other supplies needed in the classroom, she said.

The backpacks wi l l be designed according to the age of the student, she said. When possible, the supplies will match what the student's classroom teacher says the student needs.

The eligibility depends on the family's finances, she said.

For a family of four, those earning less than $20,259 annually can get the backpacks, she said.

Last year, members of the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line helped in distributing the goods, she said.

Young people appreciate receiving the gifts, Crawford said. But parents usually appreciate it more, especially in financially difficult times. Many parents have a hard time meeting expenses when preschool costs begin to weigh in.

"I remember when my children were young," she said.

"They wore shorts all summer, and then when school started, they didn't fit into their old school clothes any more."

People who think they may be eligible should call Crawford at 265-6411, and will need a birth certificate or a Social Security card and proof of residency, she said.