Harford County Education Foundation is calling on businesses, organizations, and community members across Harford County to help Stuff the Bus and ensure local students have the school supplies they need to learn, participate, and succeed.
The annual Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive is collecting new school supplies at more than 80 locations throughout Harford County. Donations will stock the education foundation’s Tools for Schools Resource Center, where supplies are distributed to schools and students with the greatest need and made available to Harford County Public Schools educators through the Teacher Shop & Stock program.
“Back-to-school season brings a tremendous amount of generosity, but a student’s need for supplies doesn’t end on the first day of school,” said Deb Merlock, Founder and President of Harford County Education Foundation. “By bringing donations together in one countywide resource center, we can respond to needs throughout the school year and help ensure that a child’s access to school supplies isn’t determined by where they live or which school they attend.”
Teachers visiting the Tools for Schools Resource Center have been known to leave with more than $700 worth of school supplies for their classrooms, putting pencils, notebooks, crayons, folders, binders and other essentials directly into the hands of students who need them.
The centralized model also helps the education foundation coordinate resources with schools, reduce duplication and stretch every community donation further. Rather than providing students with prepacked supplies they may or may not need, the education foundation can distribute supplies based on actual needs identified by schools and educators.
Community members can support Stuff the Bus by donating new school supplies at participating collection locations. Especially needed items include backpacks, composition books, spiral notebooks, crayons, colored pencils, markers, glue sticks, pencils, pens, folders, binders, index cards and other classroom essentials. Stuff the Bus collection bins can be found at www.bit.ly/harfordcollectionsites.
The first round of donations will be collected beginning Friday, August 14, with the countywide drive continuing through Friday, September 11. Supplies will begin reaching schools and students as the new school year gets underway, while additional donations will help keep the Tools for Schools Resource Center stocked for needs that arise throughout the year.
“Every notebook, backpack and box of crayons represents more than a school supply,” Merlock said. “It tells a student that their community believes they deserve to walk into the classroom ready to learn.”
Community members can participate by dropping off school supplies at a Stuff the Bus collection site, purchasing items from the education foundation’s wish lists, or making a monetary donation to support the purchase of high-need supplies. Donate online or through wish lists at www.bit.ly/harfordtoolsforschools