Help with school supplies

All those ads for school supplies mean the countdown toward the return to class has begun.

The expenses of a new school year hang like a dark storm cloud over parents in low-income families.

Lots of generous people in the community are working to replace dread with the simple joy of a child arriving for a new school year with the same tools of learning as the other students.

One shining example is the Back to School Consortium of the Shoreline School District. The event represents the collaborative effort of community groups to support families with not only backpacks and school supplies, but clothing assistance, haircuts, food and a resource fair.

More than 200 families have already registered for this event on Aug. 23 at Ridgecrest Elementary in Shoreline. Registration closes Friday. Information about Shoreline's program and eligibility is available online at www.btsconsortium.org or by calling the BTS Info Line at 206-393-4916. Families in the district can also contact their school nurse or family advocate.

Contributions to our Fund for the Needy school-supply campaign are divided among three excellent agencies: Hopelink, the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness and the YWCA of Seattle-King County-Snohomish County.

Send a donation to: The School Supply Drive, care of The Seattle Times Fund for the Needy, P.O. Box C-11025, Seattle, WA 98111. For donations via credit/debit card, e-mail pdelaney@seattletimes.com for details.