With school just around the corner, two local Haggen Food & Pharmacies are joining the Bellingham-based company in donating school supplies to foster children.

Haggen will fill a backpack — purchased and donated by customers — with $21 worth of school supplies until Sept. 13.

The backpack, which will be filled with pencils, paper, crayons, a binder and a ruler, costs customers $9.99.

“We’re hoping that as many people as possible who feel that they can help out others will join us in support,” said Dave Brumbaugh, Haggen spokesperson. “We have found that similar programs, in which we partner with customers, have been very successful in the past. We’ve found that people are amazingly generous.”

The backpacks will be distributed to Treehouse for Kids, a Seattle-based organization that provides services for foster children.

The agency helps children connect with educational support services, clothing and supplies and money for extra-curricular services.

This year marks the first time Haggen has teamed up with Treehouse for Kids, Brumbaugh said.

Although the corporation has not received any quantifiable statistics on the drive, Brumbaugh said the program is receiving a good response so far.

“As they buy a backpack for their own child, (families) are also giving a backpack,” he said. “We have found that especially in our Marysville and Arlington locations.”

The Arlington (20115 74th Ave. NE) and Marysville (3711 88th St. NE) Haggen Food & Pharmacies are two of 33 supermarkets owned and operated by Bellingham-based Haggen, Inc.

The corporation also operates stores under the Top Food and Drug name.