Salvation Army hands out thousands of back-to-school kits for its eighth year

Despite being graced this year by the likes of Wonder Woman and Elmo, the biggest hit at the Salvation Army’s back-to-school supplies drive was the same thing it is every year: the backpacks.

For the eighth year, Spokane children and their parents formed a line stretching around the block Wednesday as they waited to choose from among the thousands of colorful backpacks the Salvation Army purchased and filled with school supplies required for grades K-12.

These supplies, decided upon by Spokane-area schools, are necessary – but they can also be expensive, said Maj. Ken Perine, the new leader for the Spokane Corps of the Salvation Army.

“Now that money can go toward parents paying rent or paying for groceries,” he said.

Requiring only a photo ID and proof of school enrollment, the Salvation Army branch in the 200 block of East Indiana Avenue opened its doors at 8 a.m. to a flood of families eager to prepare their kids for the coming school year.

A whiteboard standing amid the hubbub of chattering children kept tally of those helped, as the large mountains of backpacks slowly shrank. By 3 p.m., more than 3,500 kids had come through and gotten their backpacks. By the end of the day, over 4,500 backpacks would be distributed.

“This is basically our Bloomsday or Hoopfest,” said Stan Parrish, head of donor relations for Spokane’s Salvation Army branch.

Wednesday’s event was the culmination of more than six months of planning among a variety of stakeholders, and it would not have been possible without donations from companies such as Avista Corp. and Cenex Zip Trip, Perine said.

The story of the supplies drive actually begins with Cenex, Parrish said. Years ago, the Salvation Army in Spokane would hand out some pencils and other supplies in a plastic bag to families who visited their food bank, he said.

Parrish said it wasn’t until the former head of Cenex, Ian Johnstone – who passed away two years ago – arranged a large donation that the supplies drive even became a possibility. Parrish said that Johnstone wanted every child to be prepared with an equal opportunity to succeed.

This year, Cenex raised more than $71,000 throughout 37 of its stores during its July fundraiser, of which about $39,000 was donated for the Salvation Army’s event, according to a news release.

“It’s just heartwarming to see the look on these children’s faces when they get their backpack,” Perine said.

In addition to donations, many local partners encouraged their employees to volunteer at the drive. Christine Felton, who works at Umpqua Bank, said her employer even paid for her to take the time off to hand out backpacks.

While the backpacks might be for the kids, the event also included a resource fair that featured about 24 groups providing information and aid for parents. Representatives were on hand to help families do everything from signing up for SNAP food stamps and finding employment, to talking to their school’s resource officer.

David Bishop, who was wandering between booths with his wife and their two kids, said it was great to be able to easily get the supplies his kids needed before they started at a new school. Bishop’s kids, ages 8 and 9, are both entering the third grade at Madison Elementary School.

“I’m just glad that all this is here,” he said.