It’s Almost Time to ‘Stuff the Bus’

With the official start of school now less than a month away, the United Way of Pasco County is stepping up to make sure teachers and their students have the supplies they need.

Through the Stuff the Bus campaign, the United Way is hoping to collect enough supplies to make sure teachers within the county don’t have to dip into their personal bank accounts to fund classroom needs during the 2011-12 school year.

Stuff the Bus involves a three-day event that will include supply drop-off sites at roughly 15 locations throughout the county. At each of the sites, donors will find a big yellow bus to greet them. The hope is to fill each bus to the brim, organizers say.

“We really value our teachers in the community, and we realize how much of their own money teachers are spending,” explained Debbie Vosburgh, relationship manager with the United Way of Pasco. “It’s about $600 to $1,000 a year.”

Although Stuff the Bus kicks off this Friday, Vosburgh said there is still time for volunteers to get involved in helping man the sites. Volunteers can sign up online at unitedwaypasco.org.

People who decide to donate during the event will discover the needs teachers have listed are rather varied. Requested supplies include glue sticks, index cards, markers, Kleenex, hand sanitizer, dry erase board markers, pencils, paint, first aid items and more. A complete list is also available on the United Way’s website.

The need for a school supply drive is especially critical in this economy, Vosburgh said. Many people are facing unemployment and cannot purchase the supplies they normally would for their children.

“A lot of the families in Pasco aren’t working,” she said. “This will at least give the teachers what they need.”

Pasco County School Board member Alison Crumbley is lending a hand with the campaign.

“We want the community involved to show their support,” Crumbley said. Teachers, she added, have been through a lot recently with budget cuts and layoffs. The campaign provides a great way for residents to “show (teachers) we know what they contribute. Even if a person can only afford a few dollars of supplies, it all adds up.”

The campaign takes place July 29-31 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

People who are interested in dropping off supplies in the Land O’ Lakes and Lutz areas will find these locations running throughout the campaign:

• – 1575 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.
• – 18901 State Road 54 (this location is filled for volunteers)
• – 2121 Collier Parkway

For a complete list of locations, visit the United Way online.

For more information, call Vosburgh at 727-835-2029.