KEWAUNEE COUNTY – The county Public Health Department is seeking to help local students in need fill their backpacks as it accepts registrations, as well as donations, for its 2020-21 Back to School Program.

The program annually provides some of the required school supplies for families who are on the state WIC (Women, Infants and Children), FoodShare or Badger Care programs; whose children are enrolled in the free or reduced-cost breakfast or lunch programs; or those who have found themselves in an emergency situation. The health department said in a press release it helps about 300 students each year.

Cindy Kinnard, director of the health department, said this annual program is more important than ever because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic 

“This next school year is going to be extremely critical in helping as many students as we can because of the financial impact that COVID-19 may have had on some families,” Kinnard said.

Anyone in need of a registration form, including students attending parochial schools or who are homeschooled, may pick one up at the Kewaunee County Public Health Department, 810 Lincoln St., Kewaunee; or Kewaunee Public Library, 822 Juneau St. Forms also can be printed from the county website, kewauneeco.org, or be mailed by calling the health department. Registrations will not be accepted by phone, howe.

Forms must be sent by mail to the health department and received by Aug. 3 to guarantee the earliest available pickup times. Forms received after Aug. 3 will be accepted, but those registrants will be assigned a later pickup time. Families who turn in their forms ahead of the event will be sent a postcard about one week before notifying them of their assigned time.

Distribution of school supplies is scheduled for Aug. 19 at Lakehaven Hall, 96 Ellis St., Kewaunee. Unregistered walk-ins may come from 4:30 to 5 p.m.

Donations of school supplies and monetary donations to the Back to School Program are being accepted through Aug. 10. Checks can be made out to the Kewaunee County Public Health Department and mailed to the Kewaunee County Public Health Department, Attn: Deanne Schultz, 810 Lincoln St., Kewaunee, WI 54216; indicate that the donation is for the Back to School Program in the check's memo.

School supplies needed include 1-inch 3-ring binders; two-pocket folders; crayons; markers and highlighters; dry-erase markers; wide- and college-ruled spiral notebooks; composition notebooks; index cards; and 3-by-3 Post-it pads.

Donation boxes are located at several area churches. Supplies may also be dropped off at the county Health and Human Services building.

For more information, call the health department at 920-388-7164.

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-741-7952, 920-562-8900 or [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: School supplies available for Kewaunee County students in need; donations being accepted