photo by: Lawrence Public Schools

Following the annual Back2School Douglas County Supply Drive in 2024, the Foundation team and volunteers worked to sort and fill hundreds of backpacks with donated school supplies.

Local school districts, nonprofits and community volunteers are teaming up for an annual donation drive to provide essential school supplies for students and teachers in Douglas County.

The Back2School Drive will run throughout July, with all collected supplies benefiting Lawrence, Eudora and Baldwin City public schools. Donations — both monetary and supplies — will be gathered through business and community partnerships outside retail stores and via online wish lists and donation bins, according to the Back2School website.

New school supplies are sought to help students start the upcoming school year prepared. Requested items include backpacks, plastic two-pocket folders, wide-ruled composition notebooks, Clorox antibacterial wipes, youth-sized over-the-ear headphones, child-safe scissors, plastic pencil boxes, markers, tissue boxes, glue sticks and more.

No application is required for families to receive free supplies; they just need to contact their school to make sure they’re on the list. Supplies will be pre-packed according to the school supply lists for the 2025-2026 school year, and students can pick out their own backpack to carry their supplies.

The donation drive is organized by the United Way of Kaw Valley, in partnership with The Salvation Army, East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corporation, Eudora Public Schools and Foundation, Baldwin City Public Schools and Education Foundation and Lawrence Public Schools and Foundation.

Volunteers are needed for the donation drive. Tabling volunteers are needed on July 11 and 12 at both Walmart locations in Lawrence — 3300 Iowa St. and 550 Congressional Drive — from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Additionally, volunteers are requested at The Salvation Army location in Lawrence, 1202 E. 23rd St., on Aug. 4 and 5 for their backpack stuffing event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

People can donate directly to the school foundation of their choice to help with the purchase of more school supplies for Lawrence schools, Eudora schools and Baldwin City schools.

To see the full list of collection sites, visit the United Way of Kaw Valley’s website.