Thanks to the generosity of our amazing community, over $43,000 in school supplies and monetary donations benefitted five school districts in Franklin County.
Colorful pencil boxes and speckled composition books spilled out of donation boxes, as volunteers carried supplies into the United Way of Franklin County office in early August as part of the 10th Annual Stuff the Bus school supply drive.
"The generosity of community, and the overwhelming support we received for local students was incredible!"
“It was a very busy summer for our office, between collecting donations, sorting, and distributing items before the start of school," said Amy Hicks, executive director of United Way of Franklin County (UWFC). "We had a number of partners from all over Franklin County helping make this year’s event successful."
Throughout the month of July, UWFC collected donations at 38 area locations, placing nearly 100 donation receptacles across the county. Franklin County residents eagerly stepped up to help provide local students with the tools to succeed in school.
“Organizations were signing up or calling to request donation boxes almost daily. Several of our donation bins had to be emptied more than once," said Hicks.
UWFC staff and volunteers also traveled with a yellow school bus to various community events throughout the month, including Y Cook Wednesday at the Waynesboro YMCA and Chambersfest in Chambersburg, collecting donations onsite.
“The generosity of the community, and the overwhelming support we received for local students was incredible!" exclaimed Kimberly Stephens, the community impact coordinator for UWFC.
Stuff the Bus donations are distributed directly to all five Franklin County school districts: Chambersburg, Waynesboro, Greencastle-Antrim, Tuscarora, and Fannett Metal. Each district has developed its own process for ensuring the supplies end up where most needed within their schools. Some of the districts pass out supplies directly to students, while others will use them to fulfill teacher wish lists for the classroom.
A successful event like this would not be possible without the help of dedicated volunteers. Over 100 volunteer hours and over 200 volunteer intern hours were dedicated to planning and executing Stuff the Bus.
Although, Stuff the Bus is wrapping up for 2022, the United Way office is in perpetual motion --focusing next on the Community Information Expo, to be held in October.
Stuff the Bus is one of many UWFC volunteer and community action events. From January through December, there are multiple opportunities to get involved and impact the local community. Stay in the loop on current community needs by following our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Special Thanks to our Stuff the Bus Sponsors:
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