School bells seem like a long way off, but United Way of Brown County, in partnership with Alliance, is already working to help families get their kids backpacks filled for school.

It takes a lot of money to fill a backpack and United Way knows that some families struggle to get this done.

Letters were sent out to more than 450 families throughout Brown County whose families qualify for the free lunch program. United Way staff had a great response last year from people who dropped off supplies at the many donation boxes placed throughout the county.

We hope to see lots of donations again this year. To give you an idea of how much is needed, last year we collected 5,600 pencils, 760 spiral notebooks, 770 dry-erase markers, 500 boxes of Kleenex, 300 highlighters and more.

New Ulm donation boxes can be found at 3M, Bank Midwest, Cathedral of Holy Trinity, Christ the King, Chuck Spaeth Ford, Church of St. Mary, Citizens Bank, Diocese of New Ulm, First United Methodist Church, Frandsen Bank, Inspired, New Ulm Medical Center, New Ulm Chamber, New Ulm Schools- Kids Connection, New Ulm Regional Veterinary Center, New Ulm Turner Hall, Nuvera, Oak Hills Living Center, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Parker, SouthPoint Financial Credit Union, SpecSys, United Prairie Bank, Windings.

A suggested list of supplies is on each donation box as well as on the United Way website (unitedwaybrowncountyrarea.org). Only new, unused items are needed.

If you want to help kids get excited to start school because they have a new backpack filled with supplies on their school’s list, consider putting crayons, markers, highlighters, hand sanitizer and other items in a donation box.

Monetary gifts can also be sent to United Way Backpack Project, PO Box 476, New Ulm, MN 56073.