Families throughout the New River Valley are getting ready for school to begin this week, and this year, even more children in our community will have the supplies necessary to ensure a great start to the school year.
This year’s United Way Stuff the Bus campaign saw widespread support from the community and served 604 local low-income children with backpacks brimming with school supplies. Local businesses collected donations and served as convenient drop-off locations across the New River Valley, while residents donated supplies and helped stuff buses during the Stuff the Bus event at Wal-Mart in Christiansburg during the last weekend in July.
United Way of Montgomery, Radford, and Floyd esaid they were appreciative to the NRV community for donating over $12,000 worth of school supplies for area children in need. This year’s drive surpassed last year’s efforts, helping 67 additional children.
Local non-profits Montgomery County Emergency Assistance Program (MCEAP), Floyd County Emergency Assistance Program (FCEAP) and Radford Clothing Bank distributed school supplies to local children.
In addition to backpacks filled with supplies being distributed through local nonprofits, United Way also partnered with Montgomery County Public Schools, Radford City Public Schools, and Floyd County Public Schools to provide teachers with additional supplies to help in their classrooms throughout the entire year.
“It is incredibly rewarding to play a part in helping local children with school supplies.” Stated Marcela Jara, United Way’s Programs Manager. “When I talk to struggling families, the thought of the additional expense of purchasing school supplies seems overwhelming to them. By working together as a community, we can provide a backpack full of supplies, relief for local parents, and a great foundation to help kids in our community have the best start to their school year.”
United Way said that each donor, volunteer and partner charity played a hand in the success of this year’s Stuff the Bus school supply drive.
For additional information or to find out how you can help next year, call the United Way of Montgomery, Radford and Floyd’s office at 381-2066 or by email at info@unitedwaynrv.org.
