The Salvation Army and Oak Park Mall officials are looking to help students in need this school year by providing them with basic school supplies, including pencils, pens, Kleenex, zippered pencil pouches and three-ring binders.

The Back to School Back to Basics program kicked off Aug. 3 and continues through the end of the month.

Donation bins are set up at eight locations throughout Austin, including at Wal-Mart, Shopko, Target, Kmart, Sterling Main Street, Family Video, Riverland College and the Corporate Response Center.

“What we’re trying to do is help provide the basics of what they need,” said Lori Blanton, Salvation Army case worker. “As a parent, I know it’s expensive to send at least one child to school, so if you have more than one, I just can’t imagine.”

For people interested in donating, a school supply list for three different age groups — first through fifth grades, middle school and high school — is available at the Oak Park Mall office.

“It’s going slow, very slow,” said Lynnette Jarvis, marketing director for the mall. “And it’s needed this year probably more than every other year.”

Jarvis said the program, which was formerly called the Caring Tree, distributed school supplies to 246 area children last year, and added that donations would have to improve to serve that amount again this year.

Donations can also be dropped off at the mall, Jarvis said, and parents in need of school supplies for their children can call the Salvation Army for more information at 437-4566.

The supplies will be distributed Sept. 1 and 2 at Oak Park Mall.