Imagine heading off to the first day of school without a sturdy new backpack, colorful binders, thick notebooks full of clean white paper and unopened packs of markers and pencils.

Unfortunately, that might be a reality for dozens of Island children whose parents are struggling in a tough economy, unable to afford the back-to-school ritual of buying school supplies for their kids.

That’s why a group of energetic PTSA volunteers is currently hard at work on the group’s annual back-to-school drive, collecting donations of supplies that will be distributed later this month to needy Island families. 

The drive, now in its ninth year, typically garners contributions of school supplies valued at approximately $3,000 and provides support for 150 Vashon children. Island businesses and individuals have also pitched in with cash donations each year.

Coriel O’Reilly-Silkett, a PTSA volunteer who is organizing the drive, said she has a sense that more families than ever will need help this year, but she is also worried that fewer Islanders will be able to contribute supplies to the drive.

“In a bad economy, there is more need and yet fewer donations,” O’Reilly-Silkett said. “It’s a domino effect.”

To make sure the drive collects enough supplies this year, the PTSA has reached out to local businesses to ensure that collection bins are strategically placed throughout town.

Volunteers are also being recruited to stand outside of Thriftway on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to collect school supplies and cash donations.

The PTSA is also reaching out through a Facebook page, Vashon PTSA Back-to-School Drive, to keep Islanders informed about how to get involved.

The drive will end on Wednesday, Aug. 25, when supplies are distributed to families at Vashon Maury Community Food Bank.

Yvonne Pitrof, the food bank’s director, said that in past years, there has been a big turn-out on the day the supplies are handed out.

“They fly through the stuff,” Pitrof said. “It goes fast, and it is really appreciated and people really rely on it.”

Pitrof, who has seen a significant increase in the use of the food bank in recent years, added that hard financial times have forced many Island families to make difficult decisions about the costs involved in getting their kids back to school — a time of year when children not only need school supplies, but also clamor for new clothes, shoes and haircuts. 

“People are forced to make some really awful choices that they shouldn’t have to make,” Pitrof said. “You want to give your kids all the tools for a successful start, and that’s really hard if you can’t pay your rent. Any help we can give means fewer of those impossible choices.”

Contribute

To help with the back-to-school drive, call Coriel O’Reilly-Silkett at 851-2293. To donate, drop off supplies at bins placed at Island businesses. Cash donations can be sent to Vashon PTSA, P.O. Box 2364, Vashon, 98070. Supplies will be distributed on Wednesday, Aug. 25, at Vashon Maury Community Food Bank.