11th Annual Stuff the Bus Fills Hernando Classrooms

Community Donates Thousands of lbs in School Supplies to United Way’s Annual Drive

Spring Hill, FL – (August 4, 2017) – During the weekend of Friday, July 21st – Sunday, July 23rd, United Way staff, school teachers, volunteers, and community members came together for Hernando’s 11th Annual Stuff the Bus. Volunteers logged over 693 hours that weekend by advocating for local classrooms and collecting school supply donations at all 8 Publix and 3 Walmart Stores in Hernando County. Supplies were also collected from several Drop Off Box locations during the month of July at Oak Hill Hospital, Pasco-Hernando State College Spring Hill and North Campus, and SunTrust Bank on Commercial Way. This education initiative brought in over 5,138 lbs of school supplies which stocked over 163 classrooms in 26 Schools.

Donations included:

  • 3,270 Notebooks
  • 2,642 Glue Sticks
  • 2,096 Packs of Wood Pencils
  • 1,969 Packs of Crayons
  • 1,342 Folders
  • 762 Highlighters
  • And so much more!

“It’s amazing to see the community come together to support education and invest in our youth,” said United Way’s Executive Director/CEO Angela Bonfardino. “A recent study shows that teachers spend an estimated amount of $500 every year out of their own pockets for classroom essentials, project supplies, and student items,” Bonfardino continued. “All too often students come to school without the basic tools and necessities such as pencils, paper, or even a backpack. That’s why United Way is proud to celebrate 11 years of Stuff the Bus in Hernando County.”

Click HERE to download Stuff the Bus Results flyer

Thank you to United Way’s Partners in Education at Oak Hill Hospital for their 2nd year of sponsoring Stuff the Bus T-Shirts and the Hernando County Chamber of Commerce for allowing United Way to use their office space to sort and organize teacher Wish Lists in time for the new 2017-2018 school year.

 
(A local Explorer K-8 school teacher Tammy Rodriguez and her daughter.)

Interested in volunteering your time for fun initiatives like Stuff the Bus? Visit United Way’s online volunteer portal called Lend a Hand Hernando to search opportunities nearest you.
Go to
www.UnitedWayHernando.org/Volunteer.