In just a few short weeks, children across Vicksburg will don their backpacks and walk into their classrooms on the first day of school for another year of knowledge and instruction.

Thanks to the Salvation Army’s Back to School Book Bag Drive, about 250 children each year receive book bags stuffed to the brim with the supplies they need to get their years off to the right start.

As part of this year’s drive, volunteers from the organization will be stationed at the doors of Walmart Friday, Saturday and July 29 and 30 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. collecting school supplies for children from local low-income families.

“We know how important it is to have the right tools to accomplish a job,” said Shelia McKinnis, who along with Jean McAlphin are co-chairs of this year’s drive. “(We’re) helping students be prepared for school with the supplies they need to succeed.”

Volunteers from the Salvation Army will be handing out lists and accepting donations of school supplies needed to fill the book bags for the next two weekends, McKinnis, who is part of the organization’s Women’s Auxiliary, said.

“The lists we’ll hand out will have suggested items such as book bags, of course, notebooks, highlighters, index cards and dry erase markers,” she said. “They can get whatever they want to give related to school supplies.”

Now in its fifth year, McKinnis said the Salvation Army has provided more than 1,000 book bags since the program began.

To see if a child qualifies, visit the Salvation Army at 530 Mission 66 between 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. by Thursday, July 28, to complete an application, she said.

Applicants must have photo identification and Department of Human Services information for all school-age children in order to apply.

Though volunteers will be stationed at Wal-Mart to accept back-to-school donations, McKinnis said school supply donations can be taken to the Salvation Army during their office hours in case a fire or other disaster affects a low-income family.

“I don’t really want to put a donation deadline because throughout the year, any donations can be used if something happens to a family,” she said.