Most families are still in the middle of their summer plans, but the Salvation Army is already thinking about back-to-school time.

The organization is collecting school supplies to help give local kids a good start to the school year. They’ve purchased 500 backpacks, but are still looking for more backpacks and supplies to fill them. The upcoming sales tax holiday on school supplies will be the ideal time to purchase them.

“We need all the basics,” said Janet Cowan, accountant at the Suffolk Salvation Army. “From backpacks to erasers and pencils and notebooks — markers, crayons, colored pencils, protractors, rulers, scissors. We never have enough rulers and scissors.”

Applications to receive school supplies will be accepted Aug. 6-10 at the organization’s headquarters, 400 Bank St. Families must supply a picture identification, birth certificate for each child and proof of income. The income limit is based on how many people are in the family.

“We want to give the kids the best start in school that we can give them,” Cowan said. “Anything that gives them a head up in school is worthwhile.”

Cowan said the organization will purchase any supplies that come up short after all the donations are counted and they know exactly how many children have applied and what grades they are in.

“But we don’t have that much money this year,” she said.

People can drop off school supply donations at the Bank Street office. Chick-fil-A on North Main Street, as well as the Farm Fresh stores on North Main Street and Bridge Road, also will collect supplies for the drive.

Some churches also will collect supplies, though Cowan is not yet sure which ones.

“We can use as many as we can get,” she said. “All the supplies they bring to us stay right here. They serve our clientele.”

The sales tax holiday on school supplies will be held Aug. 3-5. School supplies that cost $20 or less per item will be exempt from the 5-percent sales tax. Clothing that costs less than $100 per item also will be exempt.

The supplies will be distributed Aug. 29-30.

For more information on the school supply drive, call the Salvation Army at 539-5201.