Back-to-school shopping can trigger sticker shock for many parents, but thousands of local students will benefit from a local group that started distributing free school supplies on Monday. Family Giving Tree volunteers are preparing backpacks and supplies for 35,000 students across the greater B ay Area region, covering 12 counties and 250 schools. “There are just so many more expenses and costs to everything that it makes it just really hard for folks to be able to fill a backpack for a student for their first day of school,” Family Giving Tree Resource Director Evelyn Huynh said. “Upwards of $100 just for a basic backpack with all the supplies needed for a grade. It can really add up.” Family Giving Tree will be accepting back-to-school donations until Friday at public drive-up locations. Donors can also bring supplies directly to its headquarters at any time. ...read more read less