The start of the school year is just weeks away and the Salvation Army's Pack a Backpack campaign is underway to help families in need.
Denver7 is a proud sponsor, helping to lighten a family's load by providing backpacks and school supplies to kids, and you can help too.
Organizers are encouraging people to donate supplies like pencils, folders, crayons and notebooks.
It's a small gesture for some, but makes a huge impact on people like David Wilkins and his daughter Lily Wilkins.
"As a father, seeing your kids not able to get toys, school supplies... it’s hard to explain," David said. "I bet other fathers understand, you know what I mean?"
A back surgery and two car crashes put him and his wife out of work, and necessities like school supplies out of budget.
He said Pack a Backpack has helped take a load off his shoulders and put a backpack on Lily's.
"It’s really nice what they do for kids like me and other kids who are in like hard situations that don’t have all the stuff that they need," Lily, an upcoming eighth grader at Newton Middle School, said.
Last year, Lilly said she started the school year with nerves knowing she didn't have all the supplies on her back-to-school list.
"In past years, teachers were like, 'why don’t have you this? You’re supposed to be prepared.' But like I was like prepared," she said. "It was just really expensive."
This year, she's more than prepared. She's excited.
"I’m gonna feel relieved that I have everything I need… on the first day of school," Lily said.
Organizers said they gave out 4,000 backpacks with supplies last year, which is the highest goal to date.
If you want to sign up for the program, you can visit your closest Salvation Army.
If you want to donate, you can do so here.
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