Last day to sign up for Back to School supplies through Salvation Army quickly approaching

Salvation Army says they've had lower than expected turnout

July 13, 2012|By Dustin Hodges, KY3 News | dhodges@ky3.com

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - In Springfield, students will be hitting the books earlier this year, and for parents that may need help in getting those school supplies, time may be running out.

The Salvation Army is holding a sign-up for their back to school drive. Officials at the Salvation Army say they've had fewer people sign up this year, so they'll be adding an additional sign-up day for parents who missed the Friday deadline.

The Salvation Army will be open on Wednesday, July 25, from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. for you to sign up, but that will be that last time parents can sign up for their kids to receive school supplies when they distribute them on July 30.

"I've got five kids and we've got three of them in school right now; I've got a second grader, that's my oldest boy and then a first grader and a kindergartener," says Joshua Wiese.

So for Wiese, sending kids back to school gets expensive. "It's financially crippling at times; backpacks, school shoes, and just all the regular other supplies that they need, but it's nice to have this program here that will help us out."

With school starting earlier this year, the salvation Army had to get a head start on collecting supplies. "Some parents don't realize that school starts on the 15th of August, we've heard that from a lot of parents; they were totally unaware of that so I think some people are going to be caught unaware," says Major Claire Grainger with the Salvation Army.

"We would've been caught off guard except my sister in law was here yesterday and she told us about it," says Wiese.

Which is why the salvation army is worried more parents aren't signing up. "Normally at this point compared to last year we would have already signed up in the region of 300 to 350 families and we have signed up less than 200 families. We budgeted this year to help a thousand children so we are way under at this point," says Grainger, "We know that the need is out there so we're really concerned because there's a lot of organization that needs to take place after the sign-up is finished."

So if you wait too long, you could be out of luck. "They're sitting out there waiting and expecting to be able to come in August and we will be finished by then," says Grainger.

The backpacks will be passed out on July 30th at the Salvation Army at Kansas Expressway and Chestnut Expressway. If you sign up today, you'll actually make an appointment to come back in and pick up your supplies so you won't have to wait in line to pick up supplies.

They do need volunteers both to help prepare backpacks and for the distribution day on July 30th. If you'd like to volunteer or donate supplies, you can contact the Salvation Army by calling (417) 862-5509, or visit their website by clicking here.

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