By Powell Cobb and Brandon O’Connor

The Post-Searchlight

Back to school shopping is heating up and the Bainbridge-Decatur County Salvation Army is partnering with local banks to collect school supplies for those families that may need a little extra help getting their kids ready for the classroom.

“All the banks are partnering with us, and the credit unions too,” said Stacy Warren, Service Center Director at Bainbridge’s Salvation Army. “They are the donation centers”

They are not collecting for specific lists, but any and all school supplies that kids may need. This includes paper, pens, rulers and even flash drives.

“Each grade level has a supply list and we are not necessarily going by that because we are supplying basic stuff,” Warren said.

The goal of the drive is to help families that may have to choose between paying the bills or making sure their student has the supplies he or she needs. Families that are in need can apply at the Salvation Army.

“We want to empower them to still pay bills. We see people in September and October because they have to buy school supplies earlier in the year,” Warren said. “The distribution date is July 26. We are looking at serving the clients we already service, looking for people that can provide and looking to service the people.