days of action

Stuff the Bus

17th Annual Stuff the Bus: Why It’s Important

Basic school supplies can add up quickly! According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, the cost of school supplies has increased 24.5% over the past four years, leaving parents feeling the effects of rising prices. In fact, three in ten parents say their households are in a worse financial position than in 2022. This leaves families to choose between buying school supplies or putting food on the table. That’s why United Way needs community support to make sure students have supplies to start the upcoming school year ready to learn.

School Supply List

  • Colored Pencils (12 pack)
  • Folder, 2 Pocket, durable poly
  • Glue Sticks (2 pack)
  • Markers, washable broad tip (8 pack)
  • Notebook, 1 subject, wide ruled (70 pages)
  • Pencil Sharpener, double barrel
  • Pencils #2HB (12 pack)
  • Ruler, 12 in
  • Crayons, 24-pack
  • Scissors

Here’s How You Can Help

HOST A COLLECTION DRIVE
(1) Choose 1 or 2 school supplies from the list.
(2) Click here to complete the registration form and designate how many items you want to collect by Monday, June 16.
(3) Collect supplies in your workplace or community group (tips/flyer below!).
(4) Deliver your supplies to Nissan Stadium on Tuesday, July 15 from 9:15 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

DONATE
Every contribution helps ensure students have the tools they need to thrive. Give today to set them up for a strong start.

VOLUNTEER
Join us as a volunteer at Stuff the Bus or help welcome students on their first day of school (details below).

Track the Impact

The School Supply Tracker updates in real time so you can see how your support is helping students in need across our nine-county region.

How to Run a Collection Drive

  • Post Your Supply List in a common area, on your workplace’s intranet or email to your staff. Be sure to include your goal, cut-off date and where supplies can be dropped off. Download a Supply Drive Poster (coming soon). Haven’t registered? Sign up here.
  • Track Your Progress: consider setting up an Amazon Wish List where your team can order supplies directly and have them shipped to your office. Or if your team prefers to shop in-store, create a SignUpGenius link to make sure that each supply has been accounted for.
  • Deliver Your Supplies: once all supplies have been collected, gather a few team members to deliver the supplies to Nissan Stadium on Tuesday, July 15 from 9:15 a.m. 11:00 a.m. Detailed drop-off information will be sent closer to the drop-off date.
  • Celebrate your hard work! Because of you, kids in our community will have all the tools to start their year ready to learn.

Volunteer

Stuff the Bus
Join us at Nissan Stadium on Tuesday, July 15 and Wednesday, July 16 (both days from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) to help sort, organize, and pack school supplies for students across our region.

First Day of School Prep
Kick off the school year at Freedom Middle School in Franklin by assisting faculty in moving furniture back into classrooms on Monday, June 16 and Wednesday, June 25 (both days from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.).  

First Day of School
We’re excited to visit some of the schools that will benefit from the Stuff the Bus backpacks this year. Volunteers will greet students as they arrive for school, help check them in, and get them to their classrooms. Once you register we will work on assigning you to a school that has asked for assistance. Please use your work email to register so that we can easily group companies together. Time frames may vary slightly depending on the assigned location. Volunteer sign-up links are coming soon.

Tuesday, August 5: Davidson County
Monday, August 11: Clarksville/Montgomery County

Stuff the Bus Sponsors