Volunteers put colored pencils, crayons, tissues, pens and paper into backpacks Tuesday during Androscoggin County United Way’s annual Backpack Project at its office on Ash Street in Lewiston. “Hopefully this is enough to get the kiddos started,” local United Way Executive Director Joleen Bedard said. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Joline Dubuc, left, and Melissa Lazaro fill school backpacks Tuesday at the United Way of Androscoggin County office on Ash Street in Lewiston. Dubuc and Lazaro are employees of Maine Community Bank and are two of the 25 volunteers who helped fill 2,000 backpacks with school supplies during the United Way’s annual Backpack Project. Volunteers with local businesses, banks, Lewiston public schools and members of the Auburn-Lewiston Breakfast Rotary Club filled backpacks for students in need in Androscoggin and Oxford counties. “Inflation is impacting family budgets,” United Way Executive Director Joleen Bedard said. “It’s expensive to get kids ready for school. Hopefully this is enough to get the kiddos started,” she said. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Derek Plourde adds to the pile of backpacks Tuesday at the United Way of Androscoggin County office on Ash Street in Lewiston. Plourde, an employee of Lee GMC, is one of 25 volunteers who helped fill 2,000 backpacks with school supplies during United Way’s annual Backpack Project. Volunteers with local businesses, banks, Lewiston public schools and members of the Auburn-Lewiston Breakfast Rotary Club filled backpacks to be given to students in need in Androscoggin and Oxford counties. “Inflation is impacting family budgets,” United Way Executive Director Joleen Bedard said. “It’s expensive to get kids ready for school. Hopefully this is enough to get the kiddos started,” she said. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Derek Plourde, left, Denise Bouchard, center, and Cassady LaCava fill backpacks Tuesday at the United Way of Androscoggin County office on Ash Street in Lewiston. Plourde, an employee of Lee GMC, Bouchard of Maine Community Bank and LaCava of Lee Auto Malls are among 25 volunteers who helped fill 2,000 backpacks with school supplies during the United Way’s annual Backpack Project. Volunteers with local businesses, banks, Lewiston Public Schools and members of the Auburn-Lewiston Breakfast Rotary Club filled backpacks for students in need in Androscoggin and Oxford counties. “Inflation is impacting family budgets,” local United Way Executive Director Joleen Bedard said. “It’s expensive to get kids ready for school,” Bedard said. “Hopefully this is enough to get the kiddos started,” she said. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Volunteers fill 2,000 backpacks with school supplies Tuesday at the United Way of Androscoggin County office on Ash Street in Lewiston. United Way’s annual Backpack Project has happened annually for at least a decade, United Way Executive Director Joleen Bedard said. The number of backpacks requested by schools for children in need increases each year, she said. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal