United Way of Pioneer Valley Invites Public to Stuff the Bus, Support Homeless Children

SPRINGFIELD — United Way of Pioneer Valley announced the 2024 Stuff the Bus school-supply drive and is reaching out to the community to support its mission to provide essential school supplies to homeless children in the region.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to start the school year prepared and excited to learn,” said Megan Moynihan, president and CEO of United Way of Pioneer Valley. “However, for homeless children, this can be a significant challenge. We would not be able to do this without the generous support of Peter Pan Bus Lines. Every year, they provide a bus and driver to deliver the backpacks to all districts in need.”

Items being collected include elementary-age backpacks, spiral notebooks, composition books, looseleaf paper, crayons, index cards, pencil sharpeners, erasers, glue sticks, highlighters, and rulers. To order supplies through Amazon Wish List and have them delivered to United Way, click here.

New this year, the United Way is also collecting classroom supplies for teachers, who need paper towels, hand sanitizer, as well as dry-erase markers, to name a few items. Click here for the complete Amazon Wish List.

Supplies may be dropped off at any of the following locations through Aug. 2:

• AAA Northeast, 150 Capital Dr., West Springfield;

• AAA Northeast, 1891 Wilbraham Road, Springfield;

• Peter Pan Bus Lines (ticket counter), Springfield Union Station, 1 Peter Pan Way, Springfield;

• United Way of Pioneer Valley, 1441 Main St., Springfield; and

• Western Mass News, 1300 Liberty St., Springfield.