Each year generous Frederick County businesses and citizens help students start school with the necessary supplies that some families cannot provide. This year is no exception.
The 16th annual Stuff the Bus school-supply drive began in June and will run through July 30. More than 35 Frederick businesses and organizations make it easy for the public to participate.
The public may also drop off supplies at the Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) Central Office, 191 S. East Street in Frederick, Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.; the United Way of Frederick County office at the Bernard W. Brown Community Center, 629 N. Market Street in Frederick; or any of more than 45 other locations throughout the county listed online at www.unitedwayfrederick.org/StuffTheBus . Some of the locations include the Common Market, the Mental Health Association, Staples locations and numerous banks. A complete list of drop-off sites and most-needed school supply lists are available on www.unitedwayfrederick.org/StuffTheBus .
Supplies needed range from sturdy backpacks and composition books to loose-leaf paper, pocket folders, glue sticks, rulers, safety scissors, pens and pencils, highlighters and erasers. Also requested are dry erase markers, earbuds, pencil sharpeners, crayons and boxes of tissues.
Special acknowledgement goes to Beyond Shelter Frederick, formerly Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs, for supporting the Backpacks for Bright Futures project, which distributes school supplies to students in the Frederick City feeder schools in partnership with Stuff the Bus. This year, backpacks for the distribution are being provided by the Beyond Shelter Frederick.
On Tuesday, July 30 , FCPS school buses will make stops at participating businesses to pick up donated school supplies. Community partner agencies will assist in distributing the supplies.
This year, City of Frederick schools will receive pre-packed backpacks directly to the school rather than having a centralized distribution. Schools within the City of Frederick will distribute supplies directly from the school. There will not be a central City of Frederick distribution this year. Schools outside the City of Frederick will continue to receive supplies as they have in previous years.
Families can find the appropriate contact for their child’s feeder school system as follows.
- Frederick/Gov. Thomas Johnson/Tuscarora Feeder Schools: Supplies will be distributed at the child’s school. Please contact the school for information on how and when they will distribute supplies received through Stuff the Bus.
- Brunswick Feeder Schools (BEACON): brunswickbeacon21@gmail.com
- Middletown Feeder Schools (Middletown Valley People Helping People): mvphpmd@gmail.com
- Walkersville Feeder Schools (Glade Valley Community Services): christina.karszen@fcps.org
- Catoctin Feeder Schools: caringind@aol.com
- Linganore/Oakdale/Urbana Feeder Schools: TBD
Last year hundreds of bins of supplies were collected and distributed to over 3,000 FCPS students.