The supplies will be distributed through school districts across the region.
Grace Pulsifer, of Northampton, puts a donation in a collection jar at the Stuff the Bus display at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside.SPRINGFIELD – The United Way of Pioneer Valley and the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority are in the midst of the third annual Stuff the Bus school supply drive.
Organizers hope to fill 1,500 backpacks with school supplies for homeless children living in Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield and West Springfield before the drive wraps up on Aug. 11.
After a successful two-year partnership with Peter Pan Bus Lines, United Way of Pioneer Valley partnered with the regional transit authority this year.
“Last year, we started talking with PVTA, and they were happy to partner with us,” said United Way spokeswoman Debra Foley. “A lot of their riders are homeless so they felt like this was a great way to get involved.”
The United Way has already obtained brand-new backpacks and is looking for supplies to fill them. Specifically, they are looking for pencils with erasers, pens, crayons, highlighters, pencil boxes, glue sticks, single-subject notebooks, two-pocket folders and calculators. They will also accept cash donations.
The school supply drive fits in with the United Way’s mission, Foley added.
“One of our focus areas is education, and we feel like if we can get the kids who are facing homelessness to get the school year started on the right foot, it’s such a relief to their families and to them,” she said. “The school supply lists (given by schools) are extensive and expensive; (families) might say, ‘Do we buy school supplies or go grocery shopping?’”
The backpacks will be distributed to children at the end of August by the school districts’ special coordinators assigned to assisting homeless families.
Foley said stores seem to be having sales on school supplies earlier this year, which is good news for Stuff the Bus. The final day of the drive falls during the tax-free weekend in Massachusetts.
“People really want to help,” she said. “What’s nice about this program is if you can only afford to get a couple of notebooks, you don’t have to make this huge commitment. People have been very generous so far, but there’s still a long way to go.”
Both the United Way and the transit authority have collection sites for the drive, and there will be a special collection program on Aug. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside outside the inside entrance to Target. The mall also has a collection box at their customer service center, located on the lower level near Sears. Cash donations can be made online at www.uwpv.org.