The United Way and Staples are partnering up to make sure students have the supplies they need this school year. Tools for Schools will taking donations of supplies on August 27 when they hold their annual Stuff A Bus event.
United Way Alberta Northwest Executive Director Jamie Craig says there are two ways people can donate to the event.
“People can either come to Staples and donate a nominal amount at the till or they can grab some extra supplies and throw them in the bus themselves.”
Every year, Tools for Schools packs and donates backpacks full of school supplies to students in need. They rely on agencies like the YMCA, Pregnant Parenting Teens, The John Howard Society and The Friendship Centre to submit applications to the organization on behalf of their clients.
Craig says that this year they have received around 400 requests from families as far away as Peace River and anything people can donate will help.
“We have a huge amount of requests this year. I think I counted that we needed something like 900 packs of pencils or something like that. Every little bit helps. One bag of supplies can probably fill two backpacks.”
Craig says other items in higher demand this year include things like headphones and USB sticks.
After the event, all the items collected in the bus will head to the Redwood Inn and Suites in Clairmont to be packed into backpacks by around 40 volunteers.
The Stuff a Bus event will take place on August 27 from 11-3 in the Staples parking lot.