'Stuff The Bus' Campaigns Demonstrate Local Communities' Caring Spirits

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Back-to-school season is upon us, but before the kids climb aboard bus, hundreds of nonprofits are urging parents to “stuff the bus” with much-needed school supplies.

The summertime trend may lack the instantly Instagram-able allure of the “Ice Bucket Challenge,” but news organizations, nonprofits and schools are unifying their voices across social media to help collect supplies for students across the country.

Last week, The Salvation Army teamed with Walmart for the first big wave of “Stuff The Bus” events around the U.S. On Aug. 3, nearly 3,000 Walmart locations hosted school busses, where shoppers were encouraged to donate to help their local school districts.

“A new school year means needed school supplies — backpacks, binders, pencils, paper — the list goes on and on,” Commissioner David Hudson, National Commander of The Salvation Army USA, said in a video. “Unfortunately, there’s about 30 million children in the United States whose parents will have to choose between one needed item and another. They’ll have to make unfair choices like school supplies, or groceries; school supplies, or the electric bill; school supplies, or prescriptions.”

A spokesperson for The Salvation Army USA said that data was still being collected about the cumulative impact of the Aug. 3 event.

But the national push to “Stuff The Bus” continues this weekend, with major #StuffTheBus campaigns are underway in places like Pinellas County, Florida, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and Cleveland, Ohio.

In Las Vegas, the United Way of Southern Nevada brought its social media community into an empty rental truck to show off the results of a successful campaign.

“We have been running around all over Las Vegas delivering school supplies,” said Layla Carswell, manager of Volunteer Engagement at UWSN.

“We’re sweating, it’s hot in here — it’s so fun to be able to see everyone’s hard work, bringing in the supplies, the backpacks, and the teachers’ stuff — and be able to see them receive it,” said Moe, a representative from SOS Radio. “I mean, that’s exciting.”

Carswell said on Facebook Live that UWSN was able to collect over 1,000 backpacks and more than $2,500 in financial donations to support students around Las Vegas.

In Pinellas County, local news personalities shared a series of Tweets featuring local mascots like DJ Kitty, the official DJ of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Thunderbug, of the Tampa Bay Lightning, making calls to action to families.

“The new school year begins in just a few days and we’re making sure kids have the supplies they need to succeed!” Tweeted local anchor Jennifer Epstein. “@ThunderBugTBL and the @FOX13News family hope you can help us STUFF THE BUS. Pretty please!!”

According to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, 94% of teachers spend their own money to stock their classrooms with the necessary supplies and resources. On average, a teacher will spend about $479 from their own pocket each year.

The National Retail Federation estimates that back-to-school costs will exceed $80 billion. More than half of Americans said in a recent NRF survey that they planned their back-to-school shopping schedule around Amazon Prime Day.

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