With only one week remaining, The Salvation Army’s Tools for School program is short by approximately 300 children.
News release from The Salvation Army:
The Salvation Army Short on School Supplies Collection Short by 300
Fort Wayne, Indiana (July 23, 2026) – The Salvation Army is preparing to send area children back to school with the supplies essential to their success and the organization is urgently seeking community support. With only one week remaining, the Tools for School program is short by approximately 300 children.
Tools for School assists families throughout the community by providing school supplies, book bags, and other required items for students in grades K–12.
“We are grateful for the generous donations received so far,” said Captain Dena Smith, corps officer at The Salvation Army. “However, we still need the community’s help to reach our goal of 1,000 fully stocked backpacks.”
The Salvation Army will host Stuff the Bus events on Saturday, July 25 and Monday, July 27 at Walmart, 10105 Lima Road, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Community members are encouraged to stop by and help fill the bus with needed supplies.
Donations will be accepted through Wednesday, July 29. Items may be dropped off at 2901 N. Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46805, or at any of the public collection sites listed below. Monetary donations are also welcome and may be delivered in person or made online at www.safortwayne.org. Please earmark all contributions “Tools for School.”
Here is a list of what we need:
- Bookbags (Greatest Need)
- Pencils
- Pens
- Folders
- Spiral Notebooks
- Loose Leaf Paper
- Water Bottles
- Composition Notebooks
- 3 Ring Binders
- Highlighters
- Crayons
- Glue Sticks
- Markers
- Dry Erase Markers
- Colored Pencils
- Pink Erasers
Tools for School Collection Sites:
Public Sites
- Citizens Square, 200 East Berry Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Sweetwater Sound, 5501 US Highway 30 West, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Taye’s Treats, 5925 North Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Fort Financial Credit Union, 4929 East Dupont Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Fort Financial Credit Union, 6342 St. Joe Center Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Fort Financial Credit Union, 3850 West Jefferson Boulevard, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Fort Financial Credit Union, 8815 Lima Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- ProTailored Physical Therapy, LLC, 3730 Maplecrest Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- ProTailored Physical Therapy, LLC, 12722 Tonkel Road, Suite 102, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- ProTailored Physical Therapy, LLC, 1520 North Hill Drive, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- ProTailored Physical Therapy, LLC, 4011 West Jefferson Boulevard Suite 175, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- ProTailored Physical Therapy, LLC, 14413 Illinois Road, Suite D, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Walmart, 10105 Lima Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Walmart, 5311 Coldwater Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Private Sites
- BAE Systems, Inc.
- CRST Specialized Transportation Inc.
- Fort Wayne Orthopedics
- Walmart Manufacturing
About the Salvation Army
The Salvation Army was founded in 1865 and has been serving the greater Fort Wayne Community since 1886. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in His name without discrimination. In 2025, The Salvation Army provided food, clothing, shelter, emergency assistance, senior programing, and community support to 33,174 individuals.
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