Piles of notebooks, index cards and colored pencils greeted anyone who entered the Washington Kids distribution center Wednesday morning.

It was the organization’s annual backpacking party, after all.

The goal, by the end of the day, was to put together roughly 750 backpacks for middle and high school McKinney-Vento and low-income students in the Edmonds School District . Backpacks will be distributed at 3 p.m. Aug. 14 at Meadowdale High School.

“Kids deserve an equal opportunity for basic needs,” Washington Kids Executive Director Kim Gorney said.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a federal law that supports children and youth experiencing homelessness. It provides federal funding for related district programs.

Washington Kids assists students and famili

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