Bartell Drugs will be kicking off its 8th annual “School Tools for Kids in Need” drive this month, from Monday, August 8 to Sunday, August 28. Donations of school supplies will be accepted at all 58 of the drug store’s locations, including the two in Queen Anne, supporting local students through the World Vision’s Kids in Need Resource Center in Renton. From the press release:

Donated school supplies will help re-stock the Kids in Need Resource Center, where teachers–whose students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch programs–”shop” free of charge for school supplies to help meet students’ needs. Over the past year 120 schools throughout the Puget Sound region were served by the center, with an average pick up of $700 in donated items for each of the nearly 2,500 teacher visits.

Bartell’s says drives like this one are even more important in such tough economic times, when many cannot afford to purchase the items they need for school. Federal Way-based World Vision, a globally-known charitable organization, estimates that as many as 58,000 local students could begin the upcoming school year without the basic school supplies.

“With so many area children lacking basic school supplies, there’s never been a more important time to support this drive. Over the past seven years we’ve appreciated the support by our customers and the public for their donations,” Bartell Drugs Chairman and CEO George D. Bartell said in a statement.

Mead, Avery and Bic have teamed up with Bartell’s to support this year’s “School Tools for Kids in Need” drive. A “Basic Needs” list of suggested donation items found in Bartell’s “School Aisles” include:

• Paper Mate  #2 Pencils – 20 Count
• Bic Cristal or Round Stic Ink Pens – 10 pack (Blue or Black)
• Elmer’s Glue – Glue-All or School Glue/4 oz. bottles
• Kids’ Scissors – pointed or blunt
• Avery Glue Stic/2 pack – Acid-free, photo-safe, permanent and washable
• Pentel Hi-Polymer Erasers – 3 pack
• Avery Poly Binders – 1/2″ or 1″ sizes
• Crayons – 24 colors
• Avery Hi-Liter Markers – Yellow or Pink
• Erasers – 25 pack cap erasers or 4 pack pink

The Seattle Storm will also be joining Bartell’s, World Vision and Star 101.5 at a special “Back-to-School Night” game on August 28 to raise awareness and collect donations. For more information check out the Bartell’s website.

Summertime means that kids who depend on free school meals might not have access to food. Bartell Drugs is turning to the community to help “Stock the Pantry” to feed kids. The third annual food drive starts Monday at all Bartell Drugs locations, including the two in the neighborhood, at 1929 Queen Anne Ave N and 600 1st Ave N.

The two-week drive “focuses on replenishing food bank, meal program and school food stocks in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties during summer months–when families that normally depend on free or reduced-price school meals may struggle to provide healthy meals at home,” the press release states.

Food donations benefit Northwest Harvest. “In 2010, over 450,000 children (almost half of all students) across the state were eligible for free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch during the school year,” said Shelley Rotondo, executive director of Northwest Harvest. “Of those children, only nine-percent participated in a summer meal program last year due in part to transportation issues, the availability of feeding sites, and other factors. This really highlights the need for a summer food drive that benefits children.”

The 2nd annual “Stock the Pantry” food drive is underway at all Bartell Drugs locations, including both in Upper Queen Anne (1929 Queen Anne Ave N) and Uptown (600 First Ave N).

The 2-week drive, which ends on June 13, helps Northwest Harvest restock their shelves for the summer months when more families depend on the food because children are not getting free or reduced-price meals at school. Only 2 out of 5 low-income children who receive a school lunch also receive a lunch in the summer months, according to the Western Region Anti-Hunger Consortium.

Some “kid-friendly” suggestions from Bartells include tuna, instant oatmeal, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, cheese crackers, applesauce and canned fruit in individual serving sizes.

Bartell’s aims to collect 25,000 pounds of food donations this year.