MANCHESTER — The generosity of residents means thousands of Granite State youngsters from families struggling economically will start the academic year with brand-new school supplies.

Gear for Grades, sponsored by Citizens Bank, Child and Family Services, the New Hampshire Union Leader and radio station WZID will provide a new backpack and basic supplies to 3,000 students.

Citizens' customers donated the supplies at 80 branch offices in the state, while the bank's charitable arm, Citizens Foundation, bought 3,000 backpacks.

“Unfortunately, in New Hampshire, having new school supplies is a luxury for a lot of kids,” said Citizens Bank President Joe Carelli. “We thought by investing in this program we are really investing in our kids' future.”

Now in its seventh year, the program makes sure that children whose families can't afford the estimated $600 in back to school expenses rung up by the average family will get off to the same start in the new school year.

Dozens of volunteers gathered at Citizens' downtown office in Manchester Wednesday to stuff the new backpacks with pencils, crayons, pens, glue sticks and other essentials of elementary school life.

“We always had a new pencil box when we went to school and new erasers and rulers — we all brought them, these kids don't have the resources to do that,” said Ruth Zak, development director for Child and Family Services. “It has a great deal to do with a self-image and their awareness of themselves as being like any other kid, not set apart, not poor, not 'not as good' as others.”

Carelli said bank workers and customers alike came through. Employees of Citizens Bank volunteered to stuff the backpacks with supplies donated by the customers.

“This is a record year for us, 33,800 items were collected through our collection boxes,” he said. “This continues to grow every year.”

Child and Family Services identifies nonprofit organizations around the state to handle local distribution and administers eligibility requirements. Selected local agencies will provide the backpacks to students through fifth grade, which is typically the last year of elementary school. Most of the children receiving the backpacks come from families earning less than $22,000 per year, Zak said.

“In order to be ready to learn in school you've got to feel good and confident about yourself,” Zak said. “Kids want to be like the kid they're sitting next to, they don't want to be seen as different.”

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Bill Smith may be reached at wsmith@unionleader.com.