Ready to Learn, a program at Helping Hands Hawaii, will be collecting new school supplies to distribute to low-income and homeless students from June 1 to July 31.

Cash, check and school supply donations will be accepted at the Healing Hands Hawaii office at 2100 N. Nimitz Highway weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. American Savings Bank branches will also serve as collection sites from June 14 to July 14.

Donations are used to create kits that include the most common items found on back-to-school supply lists. The kits are valued at about $10. Items needed include: one-subject spiral notebooks, 24-count crayons, three-prong portfolios, 4-ounce glue bottles, blunt children’s scissors, ballpoint pens, calculators, composition books, erasers, folder paper, rulers and backpacks. Monetary donations can also be made on Helping Hands Hawaii’s website by clicking the PayPal link.

To apply for the Ready to Learn program, students in kindergarten to grade 12 must be recommended by a case manager at a participating referral agency, including Catholic Charities, The Salvation Army, Child & Family Service, Parents & Children Together, and the state Department of Human Services. The deadline for eligible families to apply for the program is June 23.

Visit helpinghandshawaii.org for more information.