A call has gone out for Bermudians to help provide basic essentials for around 700 schoolchildren as they prepare for the start of a new term.

The 17th annual Hands of Love ?school clothing drive? has started this week and the charity is asking for donations of clothing such as shoes and socks, and for other useful school items including pens, pencils and school bags.

Food, bus passes and tickets and cash donations will be welcome as the charity seeks to help a growing number of youngsters whose families are unable to give them all the essentials they need for the new school year.

Fern Wade, Hands of Love administrator, said: ?When we started we had 60 children, now we have 700. It is not getting any better. We are not expecting it to get better because the cost of living is going up.

?If only we had reasonably priced necessities like clothes and foods, but this is Bermuda.?

She added: ?There are many single parents. We are going to do our part as usual and we love what we do.?

Others who would like to help the Island?s less well off children can do so by donating any number of items from a large list.

New and used shoes ranging in size from small size ten-and-a-half to big size eight, school bags, pens, pencils, binders, rulers and rubbers are also needed, as are bus passes and tickets, and knee-length socks in the colours blue, white, maroon, grey and green.

Food vouchers from any of the supermarkets would be appreciated, as would bread, tuna, fish, peanut butter, jam, eggs, cheese, ham, cereal milk, fruit juice boxes and cups, cookies and yoghurt.

All these items can be taken to the Hands of Love Camp Hill location in Warwick between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Monday to Saturday from now until September 30.

Cash donations can be sent to the charity?s PO Box HM 3281, Hamilton HM PX. The charity can be contacted by calling 238-7368 or 238-2059 after 6 p.m.