Collection Boxes Out To Help Stuff The Bus

‘Stuff The Bus’ (submitted photo)

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Summer vacation is on the downhill slide, and school will be in session before long.

Operation Backpack was started decades ago to help families in need get the supplies needed to send their youngsters back to school. Today, it costs nearly $75.00 to buy the needed school supplies such as paper, crayons and rulers.

To help students be prepared with all the materials needed to start the school year off right, boxes have been distributed around town that will hold donations of those needed supplies. All of those boxes will then be delivered on July 31st to “Stuff the Bus”.

The need has risen in the past years, with the United Way of Mahaska County, along with its partners SEIDA and Mahaska County Salvation Army, helping to fill 500 backpacks for students last year, and the need continues to rise.

Those supplies will then help fill backpacks for students. Those students and others will benefit from not only starting the year off right, but if enough supplies are collected, will help fill teachers’ closets in order to continue filling that need as the school year progresses.

If your student needs a backpack with supplies, you can find an application at many area non-profit locations. Those applications need to be returned by July 31st to SIEDA.