The 2023 Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive collected and distributed over 60,000 supplies to approximately 4,500 local K-12 children at 23 schools within our service area.

THANKS TO ALL who supported this initiative in any way, whether donating supplies, volunteering to help, collecting supplies, or making a financial contribution. Thank you for supporting local children.

Families needing supplies should contact their school district directly regarding distribution dates/processes, as this varies from district to district.

Would you like to support Stuff the Bus in 2024?

• Cash or check donations can be mailed to United Way of Southwest Minnesota (UWSWMN), PO Box 41, Marshall, MN 56258 - note “Stuff the Bus” in the memo field.
• Credit card donations can be made through our secure online giving platform by clicking here.
• CLICK HERE for a list of supplies we typically collect and distribute.
• CLICK HERE for a list of schools that received supplies in August 2024.
• CLICK HERE for a list of collection locations where you can drop off your donation of new school supplies. Our Stuff the Bus initiative aims to provide K-12 students with the basic school supplies needed to learn and succeed, allowing them (and their parents) to focus on their academic goals. When students have the tools they need to succeed in school, it eases many burdens. Children can concentrate on their studies without worrying about having a pencil or a notebook,k and parents can have some of the financial burden lifted off their shoulders. When UWSWMN provides these supplies through Stuff the Bus, we make an impact that goes much further than school supplies. We’re alleviating stress, building confidence, and helping students thrive. 

This initiative is offered to all schools throughout our service area and engages numerous volunteers. Collection barrels and containers are placed at various locations throughout our service area. Local workplaces hold collection drives and are provided with specific goals of supplies to collect. UWSWMN staff then determines what supplies will need to be purchased to fulfill the need based on data received from the schools and trends from past years. 

School supplies provided include backpacks, colored pencils, crayons, eraser toppers, expo markers, folders, glue bottles and sticks, hand sanitizer, headphones, highlighters, index cards, tissues, markers, notebooks, pencil boxes, pencils, pens, pink erasers, rulers and scissors. Other miscellaneous supplies that come in through the donation containers are also distributed to the schools. Dozens of volunteers came together to sort, pack, and load the school supplies. The distribution will be at the Merit Center at 1001 W Erie Road, Marshall, MN. School representatives picked up the supplies for their school. They manage distribution to their neediest students in a way that works best for their district, as there are many multi-town and multi-building districts within our service area. We will accept new school supply donations at the United Way office annually.