TOP Food & Drug stores, including the Redmond TOP Food location at 7320 170th Ave. NE are partnering with customers to provide foster children in King County with supplies for the start of school.

When customers buy and donate a backpack at TOP for $9.99 through Sept. 13, TOP will fill the backpack with $21 worth of school supplies, including paper, pencils, crayons, a binder and a ruler.

The backpacks filled with supplies will be distributed to foster children by Treehouse for Kids. Since 1988, Treehouse has filled the gaps for children in foster care, providing services that no other agency addresses: money for extra-curricular activities and summer camp, professional educational support services, resources to fully participate in the everyday activities of growing up, and clothing and supplies to help them fit in at school.

For more information on Treehouse services or if your organization would like to hold a drive for Treehouse foster kids, contact drives@treehouseforkids.org.

“As more families face economic tough times, more children need our help to get a good start at school,” said Becky Skaggs, spokesperson for TOP Food & Drug stores. “We’re hopeful that the public will join us in supporting Treehouse for Kids and eliminating some of the barriers these children face.”

Haggen, Inc. operates 33 supermarkets in Washington and Oregon under the TOP Food & Drug and Haggen Food & Pharmacy names. Headquartered in Bellingham, it is the largest independent grocer and eighth-largest private company based in the State of Washington. The Redmond location does not have a pharmacy and is called TOP Food. For more information, visit www.top-foods.com.