Home Local News Stuff the Bus collects 35k supplies for Richmond County students

Stuff the Bus collects 35k supplies for Richmond County students

Jonathan Glaze hands a pack of antiseptic wipes to fellow Beta Club member Ashlyn Bouldin during the Stuff the Bus school supply drive at Walmart Aug. 2. Photos by William R. Toler - Richmond Observer

ROCKINGHAM — Local students in need are getting help with supplies for the upcoming year through a partnership between United Way of Richmond County and Richmond County Schools.

Volunteers from the Beta Clubs of Richmond Senior High School and Richmond Early College High School helped pack one of the two buses parked outside Walmart Tuesday for the 14th annual Stuff the Bus campaign.

Prior to taking the items on the bus, the supplies were brought out front, filling up 17 shopping carts.

There were several carts that contained nothing but facial tissue, disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer. Others included notebooks, paper, markers, crayons, pencils and other supplies. Next to the carts was a palette with 1680 packs of notebook paper.

UWRC Executive Director Michelle Parrish said she had trouble finding pencils this year.

Funding for the shopping spree came from the 60 sponsors, whose names and logos were plastered on the buses. Last year there were 53 sponsors.
Banner sponsors contributed $300 and the smaller magnet sponsors gave $125.

In addition to the sponsors, there were volunteers stationed at both entrances of Walmart soliciting donations, which came in the form of supplies or money.

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In all, Parrish said the drive resulted in about 35,000 supplies, which will go to students identified through school social workers and guidance counselors.

The supplies were taken back to RSHS to be divided up between the 15 schools in the district.

The supplies were scheduled to be distributed to the schools on Thursday.

Other volunteers came from the Richmond County Chamber of Commerce and Richmond County Schools to help out.

“We definitely could not do this event without our community,” Parrish said. “Thank you to all of our sponsors and the community for helping with our ‘Stuff the Bus’ campaign this year.”

Volunteers stand with shopping carts at the Stuff the Bus campaign Aug. 2, 2022.



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