The Turlock Seventh-Day Adventist Church is seeking help from the community for its newly established Project Backpack program.

Project Backpack is a collection program for Turlock school children in need of backpacks and schools supplies. Project organizers hope to collect 500 backpacks for the upcoming school year.

On July 31, the project will hold a drop off collection at numerous sites in Turlock. That same day the Turlock Seventh-Day Adventist Church will hold an outreach event with vendors including WIC, Healthy Families and the Turlock Fire Department.

“It is part of our ministry to look at how we can serve our community, and after I talked with elementary schools they told me this would be the best way we could help,” said Coordinator Brenda Proetel. “Our church teaches us to be good not only to your own children, but also other kids in the community as well.”

In the last three months the drive has raised enough money for 250 back packs along with supplies.

“With school budgets being cut, schools are asking for help with school supplies such as paper, pens, pencils and three-ring binders,” said Proetel.

Drop off locations in Turlock on July 31 include the UPS Store at 3220 West Monte Vista and Rex Klein Insurance at 132 South Center St. Donors can also drop off backpacks from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Turlock Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 2400 N. Olive.

For more information visit www.projectbackpack.info.

To contact Jonathan McCorkell, e-mail jmccorkell@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext 2015.