Uniontown, Ohio Lions Club

By Felicia Frazar
The Gazette-Enterprise

Volunteers gathered Saturday at Wal-Mart, Walgreens and on busy street corners to gather donations for school-supply collection and raised over $2,500.

Stuff The Bus is a fundraising event that benefits school children who need a little help obtaining school supplies.

Suzanne Sanders, Sunset Lions Club Stuff the Bus organizer, said the club has supported the program for 20 years and is sponsored by all of the Lions Clubs of Seguin and Geronimo.

“Richard Garza with Seguin ISD is the one who was doing it before I got involved, but it wasn’t called Stuff the Bus until I got a hold of it, renamed it and got clubs and organizations helping and it has grown tremendously since then,” she said. “He used to do 50 bags per grade and this year we are doing 150 bags per grade. So, we are actually going to provide 1,500 school children with school bags.”

Sanders and the team collect supplies and donations throughout the year and set aside donation locations.

While every little bit helps, Sanders said some donations help a little bit more.

“We appreciate the school supplies but with the monetary donations we can buy it at a discount and with no tax and in bulk,” she said. “So, we can get a lot more supplies with the money. We won’t turn anything down, everything gets used.”

During the Saturday campaign, the Lions Club members had some help from members of Seguin High School’s Interact Club.

Morgan Richardson, president of the Interact Club said that even though she will be graduating after this year, she will be back to continue what she has started.

“I am planning to come next year. I love knowing its going to help someone,” she said. “We had a blast and we started making up songs about Stuff the Bus.”

Nick Sheffield, Interact Club head of public relations committee said he enjoyed being able to get out there and engage the community, especially the younger members.

“I think my favorite part was actually seeing the little kids donate,” he said. “It was very touching.”

Sanders said community members really step up to help the area children.

“I think the community realizes the young children who are low income need a boost in help to go to school. And we want the children to go to school happy and ready to learn and not worrying about the fact they don’t have notebook paper,” she said.

The bags the children receive are filled with at least one of every item on the school’s supply list, with a few exceptions, Sanders said.

“They wont get any of the kitchen items,” she said. “Every kid that is in elementary (pre-k to sixth grade) will get at least of one of everything. We will also help the older kids of these families. They will get a few supplies that apply to their grade.”

Sanders said she enlisted help from a summer program to help make the process a little quicker.

“We also use the parks and recreations day camp children, who help out every year,” she said. “Without them we couldn’t fill the 1,500 bags in one day.”

On Wednesday, Aug 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Mary B. Erskine, qualifying students can come pick up the supply bags the organization has put together.

School supplies are not all the kids will have a chance to get, Sanders said.

“There will also be an Inter-Agency Health Fair where they can sign up for other social services and that is from 10:30 to noon,” she said. “They will check their eyes so they know whether they do or don’t need glasses and they can also get immunizations, so bring your shot records.”

The help does not end there. Students who do not make it to Stuff the Bus still have a chance to receive a few supplies, Sanders said.

“Whatever is left over and when school starts, you can go to your school counselor and they will have a box of supplies and you will be able to get some of your supplies from there,” she said.

To contribute to the program throughout the year donations can be sent to the Seguin ISD in the name of Stuff the Bus.