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PHOTOS BY CLARE JENSEN

STUFF IT. Darriel Menefee (left), board member for CIS, and Ala Talo, CIS project coordinator, load boxes of supplies into the Stuff the Bus school bus Aug. 21 outside of the City of Tacoma’s municipal building. The supply drive collected enough school materials from local businesses to fill 7,800 backpacks for local students.

Bus stuffers get thousands ready for back-to-school

By Clare Jensen

This year, nearly 8,000 would-be unprepared school children got just what they need to start the school year right.

Fresh pens, pencils, paper, rulers and book bags are a necessity for any student heading off to school on the first day, but the price of stocking supplies for some families can be too high to foot the bill.

“You wouldn’t believe how many students don’t come to school for the first couple of days because they don’t have the right supplies,” said Art Jarvis, superintendent for Tacoma Public Schools. “Picture those very, very proud students approaching the first day of school with shiny new backpacks, with the materials that they need.”

Communities in Schools (CIS) Tacoma worked with local business owners to collect school supplies for needy children in the area.

This is the fourth year that the local CIS made it their mission to Stuff The Bus, and due to support from the community they were able to double the number of students served for 2008.

Last year, CIS was able to collect about 3,500 supply-filled backpacks. This year, the team exceeded their goal of 5,000 by collecting enough supplies for 7,800 students in the Tacoma, Franklin-Pierce and Bethel school districts.

“It’s awesome – it’s just awesome. It makes me want to cry,” said Margaret Miller, community volunteer with CIS. “Stuff the Bus is crucial. They (students) deserve all the tools they need to be successful.”

On Aug. 21 CIS staff and volunteers drove around town in a yellow school bus that was “stuffed” by the end of their eight-hour day. The team picked up boxes of supplies from local businesses that had been collecting goods from staff and community for the few weeks prior.

The city of Tacoma’s drive (which included the municipal building, library and fire department) was the largest supporter for the campaign this year, and was coordinated by financial assistant Vivian Leach, who has been working with the drive for the past four years.

“I want (students) to have the best possible shot of starting the school year on a bright note,” Leach said. “Everyone needs a little help sometimes.”

On Aug. 23, the first 100 backpacks were handed out to Tacoma students from McCarver, Stafford, Sheridan and Fern Hill elementary schools at a kick-off event at Mount Tahoma High School. Following the event, the remaining 7,700 backpacks will be dispersed to every school in the three districts to be handed out at the principal’s and teacher’s discretion.

Tacoma City Councilmember Rick Talbert, one of the original board members for CIS Tacoma, was at the event on Aug. 23.

He noted how crucial it is for the community to support itself through events like Stuff the Bus.

“The government cannot provide everything,” he said. “We need community support… we need neighborhood support. This is a prime example of that.”

More than 30 local businesses partnered with the organization to provide supplies for students.

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