School supplies needs increase | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

"Counselors have gotten more (requests) than ever before," said Teresa Tudor, director of family partnerships for county schools. "That's just the trend in the economy."

Backpacks full of pencils, paper, crayons, markers and other supplies are collected in the drives and delivered just before school starts to local children whose families can't afford back-to-school shopping.

Seven thousand county children are eligible for the backpacks, Ms. Tudor said, and others can request them if their families have fallen on hard times.

The Department of Social Services runs the county's biggest drive in conjunction with the school system. Donors buy a backpack and fill it with items on a list provided by the school system. Each backpack costs about $40 to $50, and the donor can be matched with a child in their part of the county, Ms. Tudor said.

The backpacks are given to elementary school students who meet federal poverty guidelines for free and reduced price lunch. The Department of Social Services also is seeking cash donations to buy supplies for middle and high school students, said special programs manager Chris Poulsen.

Department leaders began running the backpack drive in 1993, when they realized students who couldn't afford supplies weren't going to school, Ms. Poulsen said.

"We know children aren't always kind to each other," she said. "If you don't have the right spiral notebook or pen, kids will be embarrassed … They will stop attending."

Other organizations also are seeking donations for their backpack drives.

New Life Fellowship Baptist Church in Hanover is collecting both supplies and cash donations. Last year, the church was able to donate about 275 backpacks, and is hoping to do the same this year, said Assistant Pastor Fallon Procter, particularly as they're seeing a rise in need.

"Unfortunately, it appears people are having to make some tough choices on food and travel, and that's going to translate into school supplies," he said. "People are telling us they need some help."

Some organizations collect donations for the Department of Social Services, like the Junior League of Annapolis, which fills about 1,000 backpacks for the drive each year, Ms. Poulsen said.

"Our goal is always to keep children in school, and a key to that is to have them arrive with the same supplies as the rest," she said, "and start school on a fresh foot."

The following organizations are seeking donations of back-to-school items and cash to buy supplies for children in need:

County Department of Social Services/Anne Arundel County Public Schools - Call 410-269-4461 or visit www.aacps.org to donate a backpack of supplies through the Back to School Donor Program. Donors can be matched directly with children in need of supplies and should deliver the backpacks to the designated school's guidance office between Aug. 11 and 15.

New Life Fellowship Baptist Church - Pack a Backpack School Supply Drive. Collecting backpacks and school supplies between Aug. 3 and 20 at the church, located at 7605 Harmans Road in Hanover. Call 410-850-5767.