A school bus in the Hollister Target parking lot on the morning of Aug. 8 was a hub of activity as volunteers scrambled to prepare backpacks and families lined up to receive them as part of the annual Stuff the Bus event.
The hundreds of students who were given free backpacks were among an estimated 1,200 children in San Benito County who were served by the United Way, in partnership with the San Benito Office of Education, and local school districts. This is the third year for San Benito County’s Stuff the Bus event, but the first year where students were able to pick up the backpacks at a distribution site before the beginning of the school year.
“We love having all the kids pick up their backpacks with their families,” said San Benito County Superintendent Krystal Lomanto. “They’ve been so appreciative. It’s been very heartwarming.”
Growth has been a continued theme in the three years of Stuff the Bus events.
“We started the first year giving out 100 backpacks, and the second year it grew to 800 backpacks,” said Vicki Fortino, coordinator for United Way of San Benito. “This year our goal was 1,000, and we’re well over that. The community has just totally embraced this project.”
Students were selected by their districts based on qualification for free and reduced lunches. However, in previous years, students weren’t able to get a jump start in their school preparation by getting the backpacks ahead of the first day of school.
“We decided it was in the best interest to let the kids get the backpacks before school started,” said Lomanto of the creation of a pickup venue for families.
“The kids have been so excited,” said Fortino of the reactions she saw. She noted non-recipient response, as well, saying, “People are driving up giving me donations today.”
“United Way’s part is getting the donations and sponsorships,” said Diane Barr, co-chair for the event and a United Way board member. “The community has been awesome this year. With the $25 donation, we get one backpack and the items to put inside.”
When asked about the importance of the supplies, Lomanto said, “To be able to have a pen, pencil, paper, ruler, binder, a pouch, and something as simple as an eraser, that allows a student to start the first day of school. Not being anxious, but ready to learn, having the supplies that they need.” She added, “It’s about equity and access to education.”
“United Way’s initiative is to help kids succeed in school,” said Fortino.
A group of costumed heroes showed up in the latter portion of the event. Children were able to have their pictures taken with such characters as Ironman and Batman.
“The United Way organized the heroes, and it’s been a great addition to the festivities,” said Lomanto.
Volunteers were on hand to prepare backpacks and distribute them to students, with a large group of athletes from the San Benito High School cross country team.
“We do a lot of fundraising for ourselves, but we know how important it is to give back to the community,” said Leanna Morgan, head girls’ coach for the SBHS cross country team. “This is a way for our kids to learn the valuable lesson to pay it forward.” She added, “If they are able to go and give that to other kids, it means our community’s going to get better.”
Jill MacFarlane, co-chair for the event and a United Way board member, said volunteers were also present from 4-H, Pacific Scientific, and the juvenile hall program.
After the Saturday event, Lomanto said the county office of education would handle distribution of backpacks to smaller schools, such as Tres Pinos, Southside, and Willow Grove. She noted that all the county’s school districts were involved in the selection process, except for San Benito High School, which has its own program.
“I would like to thank the community,” said Lomanto. “This has been a community effort. We would not be able to have this event without all of the sponsorship and donations. This is about the community coming together to support education, which is our number one priority, and it’s been incredible.”
Fortino explained that the United Way will collect Stuff the Bus donations year-round, and not just within the July-August window. She said, “We can use it for next year because 55 percent of our kids in San Benito County are on the free and reduced lunch program.”
Donations were collected during July from locations with a little yellow school bus. They included: Heritage Bank, Rabobank, San Juan Bautista Visitor’s Center, Target, United Way Office, Wells Fargo Bank and the YMCA.
“All of our drop off locations took in large numbers of supplies,” said Fortino.
To learn more about the United Way of San Benito County, visit www.unitedwaysbc.org.