Temple’s Backpack Buddies, the Salvation Army and Belton’s Project Apple Tree are providing low-income students with school supplies.

According to Eleanor Herrera of Salvation Army, the organization is providing supplies for about 100 kids. Jeannette Kelley of Project Apple Tree said they have 1,235 students, grades pre-K through 12, signed up so far. Backpack Buddies has 1,077 Temple elementary and middle school students signed up for its program.

Kelley, a Belton ISD school board member and founder of Project Apple Tree, said the bad economy has more people signing up and qualifying for help. She said the economy is also causing fewer organizations to sponsor those children.

“We have more children than we know what to do with so we have a great need for more sponsors,” she said.

Backpack Buddies organizer Carol Lynch agreed.

“We firmly believe that people want to help our children,” Lynch said in an earlier interview, “and we know they are very generous when they know how and are given the opportunity to do so.”

Herrera said Salvation Army is filling boxes with school supplies. They are providing backpacks, paper, pencils, pens and other supplies needed for school.

“We need things like quart- and gallon-size baggies, anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, notebooks, three-ring binders and backpacks,” she said.

Backpack Buddies is a sub-ministry of Churches Touching Lives for Christ. They are giving the students individualized backpacks filled with school supplies and prayers, according to Lynch. This is the fifth year they are providing services to Temple students.

This is the ninth year for Project Apple Tree to provide services to children, according to Kelley.

“We get the name of the child, school and school supplies and furnish the child with a full outfit of clothing,” she said. “We want the children to have a complete outfit of clothing to start school so they look like all the other children.”

Project Apple Tree also provides a hygiene kit and a dental kit. Children are able to get a free haircut by a professional hairstylist and immunizations on distribution day.

“If they want immunizations they have to bring their health records,” Kelley said. “If they are 3 years or younger and have not had an eye muscle check that is also provided.”

Kelley said she is unsure if funds will allow for the children to receive backpacks this year.

“Last year every child received a brand new backpack,” she said. “It depends on funding, so we’ll have to wait and see if we can afford that.”

Kelley said several service clubs have donated items to Project Apple Tree. These include Lions Club, Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club and American Legion. She said Altrusa International is donating the hygiene kits and the Dental Hygienist Association donates the dental kits.

H-E-B has donated 2,800 bags filled with handles, she said. Each child will get one with clothes and one with school supplies.

Tomie Lunsford contributed to this article