Two hundred and eight-five.

That’s how many approved requests the Salvation Army of Vicksburg has received for school supplies via its Back to School Book Bag Drive, according to Patricia Wines of the organization’s Women’s Auxiliary.

To fill those backpacks, volunteers were stationed Friday, Saturday and the previous weekend at the doors of Walmart to help ensure each child returning to school has the supplies needed to succeed.

“It’s been real positive. We’ve had a lot of supplies donated plus cash donations,” Wines, who manned a donation booth Saturday, said. “Vicksburg is a very giving community.”

Wide-ruled loose-leaf notebook paper, 2-inch binders and five-subject notebooks are the items Wines said are still most needed, either because a large quantity is required or the items are some of the most expensive on the list.

“There are a lot of items we haven’t reached our goal on,” Wines said, noting they need 902 folders because teachers often require a folder for every subject.

She estimated that 20 to 25 members of the Women’s Auxiliary have been working on their summer project since last month by ordering supplies and arranging volunteers.

“We’ve been busy bees,” she said.

The auxiliary uses the Vicksburg Warren School District’s supply list to pack the bags, and members have already ordered difficult items to come by like backpacks, protractors and graph paper based off of last year’s number of requests, she said. Because that number has increased by more than 30, Wines said the cash donations will help make up the difference.

“We’ve always been able to get close to our goal,” she said. “Sometimes we don’t get everything in the bags but we try to get the main things, pencils, paper, pens and erasers.”

After the book bags are stuffed on Monday, they will be distributed at staggered times throughout the day at the Salvation Army office on Wednesday, she said, and though this past weekend wrapped up the official donation period for the project, she said school supplies are often still needed throughout the year.

“If we can, we’ll make up extra bags. We do try to do a few extra bags for emergencies,” Wines said.