GREENFIELD — The 20th annual Blooming Backpacks drive has begun and will continue to collect new backpacks filled with school supplies through Aug. 8.

The event, organized by Women’s Way, an affinity group of the local United Way of the Franklin & Hampshire Region, began in 2005 and provides hundreds of backpacks each year to students across Franklin County.

“I think the community really seems to see it as a regular collection. We have many repeat donors who enjoy putting the backpacks together,” said Jenny Coeur, who serves as United Way’s program director. “So we’ve seen a good response.”

Backpack and supply donations for students in elementary school through high school can be brought to a celebratory event on Thursday, Aug. 8, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the John Zon Community Center, 35 Pleasant St. in Greenfield. Donations can also be dropped off through Aug. 8 at United Way’s Greenfield office, at 51 Davis St., Suite 2. For best office hours, call United Way at 413-584-3962.

Monetary donations are also welcome at tinyurl.com/BloomingBackpacks or via check, with 100% of donations going toward the purchase of additional supplies. A list of suggested school supplies is available on the same website.

To RSVP for the Aug. 8 event and learn more about donating to the drive, send an email to program@uw-fh.org, call 413-584-3962, ext. 102 or 105, or visit the website.

“Every year we are able to give out hundreds of backpacks,” Coeur said. “Last year, I believe we had enough backpacks and monetary donations to support over 400 students.”

Charity Day, who has been involved with Women’s Way since roughly 2010, explained that receiving free backpacks and school supplies eases the financial burden on families who are already struggling to make ends meet. She said parents are thrilled to have money freed up for other bills and kids get excited to have some new gear for school.

“They’re just overjoyed,” she said. “It’s just such joy on their faces.”

Day said every dollar truly makes a difference.

“The community is always extremely generous. Whether it’s providing school supplies or whether it’s providing food,” she said, referencing United Way’s Supper for Six food drive, “the businesses and individuals always are willing to step up and help those less fortunate so that children have what they need to do well in school.

“The cost of living just continues to rise,” she added. “It just continues to go up.”

This will be the second in-person backpack drive since the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to United Way, feeling unprepared for the classroom can profoundly affect a student’s success, and research shows that self-esteem, academic achievement, attendance and classroom participation improve when students enter school fully equipped with the materials they need for learning.

Nonprofit partners — including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County, The United Arc, Community Action Family Center and Youth Programs, the Mary Lyon Foundation and Montague Catholic Social Ministries — will distribute the supplies to students before the new academic year begins.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.