Norwich — When budget cuts forced Norwich Human Services to announce last fall that it couldn't continue a popular program that provided backpacks and school supplies to hundreds of needy local students, several other local agencies vowed to fill both the void and the backpacks this year.

Dozens of volunteers worked an assembly line of long tables set up in the main hallway of the Tirrell Building at Norwich Free Academy on Tuesday morning to fill 750 new backpacks of varying sizes and colors to be slung over students' shoulders.

“Especially for you from the Norwich Community Backpack Program,” the tag attached to each bag said. “Have a GREAT school year!!!”

The opposite side of the tag contained a code number, the student's age, gender and the local social service agency that will deliver the bag to the family.

Jodi Vara, coordinator of Project Outreach, NFA's largest student community service club, led the effort to continue the backpack program this year. A number of agencies sought grants and signed up client families.

Eight foundations and local businesses contributed about $7,000, and Norwich school bus driver Donna Demanche donated about 100 backpacks she bought last fall at close-out prices from Walmart.

Demanche, who volunteered to help stuff the bags Tuesday, said she saw a 50 percent off sale at the store in September. She asked for additional discounts for the backpack program, and the store knocked the prices down by another 25 percent.

“I drive a school bus, and I see the backpacks some of the kids have,” Demanche said. “It's just sad. Even if they just had an empty backpack, it would be good.”

Demanche gave the bags to Vara and signed up for the packing day. She asked friends and their children to volunteer as well.

Demanche stood at the end of the assembly line to add informational fliers for events, health care services by United Community and Family Services, a list of the project donors and a toothbrush provided by the UCFS dental clinic.

Project Outreach member Joyce Yeun of Lisbon, an incoming junior at NFA, took a tag out of the basket and quickly reviewed the information — a 10-year-old girl. She grabbed a red backpack and made her way along the tables of supplies labeled for each age group.

She grabbed a glue stick, three pens, four pencils, a pack of colored pencils, two folders, two wire-bound notebooks, one pair of scissors, the fliers and toothbrush. She placed the bag in the pile bound for Madonna Place, an agency that provides services to young parents.

Janice Thompson, administrative coordinator and grants manager for Norwich Human Services, said the city agency is grateful that others took over the program, and with the same number of backpacks being filled.

About 600 of the bags will go directly to agencies for families already identified. The remaining 150 will go to schools and agencies for newly enrolled students and last-minute requests.

“When we announced last year that this was the last year, people said, 'No, this has to continue,'” Thompson said. “People really stepped up.”

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday