Numerous community groups came together Saturday, Aug. 15, to help 270 low-income children get the supplies they need to go back to school.

Altrusa's KidzShop program provided each child with $120 or $145, depending on age, to spend on clothes and shoes, and Sears, Old Navy and PayLess Shoe Source at Heritage Mall opened their doors to the kids and their volunteer shopping helpers.

Each student also received a backpack filled with donated school supplies and hygiene items. A story in Sunday's paper said the backpacks had come from Coastal Farm and were filled by the Boys & Girls Club of Albany. The club did load the bags, but the supplies came from a variety of sources: backpacks, Coastal Farm; messenger bags, Heritage Mall; three-ring binders, Target; glue sticks, Altrusa of Albany; paper and spiral notebooks, Samaritan Albany Hospital Foundation; pencil pouches and crayons, Linn Benton Housing Authority; shampoo, conditioner and soap, Quality Inn of Albany; toothpaste and toothbrushes, Pediatric Dental Associates; lice shampoo, Tec Labs; pencils and pens, Linn-Co Federal Credit Union; rulers, Linn-Co Federal Credit Union and the Salvation Army.

The kids all received a year's membership to one of the local Boys & Girls Clubs, in either Albany, Lebanon or Sweet Home, depending on the child's hometown.

In addition, each student was sent home with a "snack sack" full of food donated by the community (Odwalla, Smokecraft, Lebanon Shop N Kart, Linn-Co Federal Credit Union). The credit union also provides snacks during the event.

Democrat-Herald