Grace Church and South King Fire and Rescue’s annual school supplies drive has raised more in its first week than in years past, said Grace Church executive pastor Wendy McIntosh.

The community has responded generously to the need for supplies by filling the Federal Way fire station collection bins already.

McIntosh was unable to say if any particular supplies were needed more than others, but based on years past, backpacks, composition notebooks and highlighters are often in high demand.

Other items needed include spiral bound notebooks, pencils, crayons, glue and folders. For a full list, visit www.gcfw.org and click on the “Investing in our schools” icon.

Many supply dive sponsors partner with specific schools and deliver the supplies directly without any involvement from the district, said Debra Stenberg, communications director for the district. For the Red Canoe supplies drive, which wraps up today, the district officially partners with the credit union and receives the donations as well as a check matching the monetary amount spent on all the collected supplies.

The supplies collected and the supplies bought with the donated money is then given to schools with higher rates of low-income students, Stenberg said. Within schools, the supplies are given to teachers to distribute as they see fit. Supplies can be communal for the classroom, or it can be given to specific students.

“We leave it in the hands of the people closest to the students and knowledgable about the situation rather than trying to dictate how supplies are distributed,” Stenberg said.

Grace Church and South King Fire and Rescue also worked to clean up Lake Grove and Olympic View elementary schools last week.

“We had a really good turn out,” McIntosh said.

The group was able to complete all the projects, including weeding and spreading beauty bark and touching up paint near playgrounds and curbs.

“Olympic View looks like a new school,” McIntosh said.

The supplies drive goes through Aug. 24. Donations can be made at any Federal Way fire station, as well as at Heritage Bank, 32303 Pacific Highway; and at Grace Church, 1232 SW Dash Point Road.

South King Fire and Rescue has four stations in Federal Way:

• Station 62 at 31617 First Ave.

• Station 63 at 334114 21st Ave.

• Station 64 at 3700 S. 320th St.

• Station 68 at 1405 SW 312th St.