Help military familes go back to school

As the new school year approaches, one group wants low-income military families to cross school supply shopping off their to-do lists.

Operation Homefront Illinois will be collecting these supplies over the next two weeks in a mission dubbed Operation Backpack.

"We're helping families that have someone currently deployed or on active duty and want to make sure folks overseas fighting don't have to worry about what their families are going through back at home," said chapter President Todd Schorle. "If they don't have to worry about this expense, it can do a great deal of help."

The group will kick off the collection with a rally from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Central Park, 104 E. Benton Ave., Naperville. The public event will include hot dogs, snacks and outreach to local businesses.

Among the supplies needed are backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, markers, crayons, paper, rulers, colored pencils, calculators and erasers. Donations of money or volunteer time are also welcome. The two-week drive will last through Aug. 10.

Military families interested in receiving a backpack with supplies must register and can do so beginning Monday, although preregistration will be allowed at Saturday's rally. These families then will pick up their backpacks on Aug. 16 at one of three Chicago-area locations.

Operation Homefront Illinois is part of a national organization. Last year the chapter gave out 350 backpacks in Northern Illinois. This year's goal is 500 to 1,000 backpacks.

If you go

What: Operation Backpack kickoff rally

When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday

Where: Central Park, 104 E. Benton Ave., Naperville

Info: (773) 942-6018 or operationhomefront.net/illinois