The Gloucester Salvation Army Service Center at Hayes held a very successful back to school supply collection effort recently, center manager Sandra Thornton said.

On Aug. 4 and 5, a school bus was parked near the Walmart Supercenter in Fox Mill Centre. The community was encouraged to drop off school supplies there—and they did, Thornton said, as well as donated approximately $300 in cash.

A visit to the service center on Aug. 9 showed off the community’s efforts. Rows of binders, packets of ruled paper, pencils, erasers and other supplies pretty much filled a meeting room.

The Salvation Army bought 100 backpacks, which will be filled and distributed to qualifying children. Applications are still being accepted for school supplies, Thornton said.

In addition, 10 backpacks were donated, each already filled with school supplies. Thornton thanked those donors as well as everyone else who took the trouble to shop for and donate school supplies for needy Gloucester children....