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Helping students head back to school with full backpacks

My wife started going over the school supply list yesterday. It's one of many daunting tasks facing parents as the gear up for back-to-school.

Not only does it seem like supply lists are increasingly detailed and complicated, supplies are expensive, too.

With the great number of people out of work, it's easy to guess that many kids will be going back to school without all the necessary materials.

But others are coming to their aid.

The Walworth County Department of Health and Human Services, along with the volunteer resource center and St. John's in the Wilderness Churchm are once again sponsoring a school supply drive.

Items collected will go to children and families being assisted by Walworth County Department of Health & Human Services.

Items can be dropped off by Aug. 16, 2009 at the following locations:

-- Aram Public Library, Delavan -- Lake Geneva Library, Lake Geneva -- Mathison Memorial Library, Elkhorn -- Lakeland Health Care Center -- Walworth County Department of Health & Human Services - Receptionist Desk -- Walworth County Volunteer Resource Center, Government Center - Room 115

Employees at Lake Geneva's Klockit are one of those groups that have stepped up to lend a hand.

They're gathering items to fill 25-30 backpacks with all sorts of items that kids will need to begin the school year on the right foot.

"This is our first year," Ashley Denton, creative coordinator at Kockit told me last week. "It's been a very good response."

Klockit employees undertake two community drives a year. During December, they work through the human services department to collect donations for a local family.

The current drive hopes to get backpacks and school supplies to kids.

"We're trying to become more involved in the community," Denton said. Click HERE to download a list of supplies that are needed.

If you know other back-to-school efforts, post the information below or e-mail me, so we can let our readers know and get as many students as we can off to school on the right foot.