United Way of SEMO, in partnership with Walmart, will host their annual "Stuff the Bus" school supplies drive on August 2nd from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. to collect donations of school supplies for students headed back to school in the fall. Locations will have designated donation boxes and carts, and some locations will have buses parked in front to collect supplies.
Collection will happen over 'Tax-Free-Weekend', which runs from Friday, Aug. 1, through Sunday, Aug. 3, and will exempt the purchase of certain items from sales tax.
As back-to-school season quickly approaches, an evident need for support has also become apparent. According to an article by United Way, almost half the children attending U.S. public schools come from low-income families, research shows. And some 16 million children lack access to essential school supplies. This means about one in every four students -- or 25% of students in the US -- can't afford school supplies as school starts back up. This hinders a child's academic performance but also impacts their self-esteem and drives up absenteeism.
Elizabeth Shelton from United Way explains the area's needs. “For over a decade now. United Way of Southeast Missouri has sponsored Stuff the Bus for our communities, and for a while now, we've been trying to have it during the tax-free weekend. And it's simply a weekend. A day primarily where we ask our community if they can, to help families who are struggling right now”.
Intentionally scheduled for August 2, 2025, which is the middle day of 'Tax-Free Weekend' in Missouri for back-to-school shopping, the event aims to make it easier for more people to get school supplies and provide an easy way to donate any extras.
Shelton emphasized the need for helping students return to the classroom prepared.
"School supplies are so important, and we want all of our students to start the year prepared and feeling good and having the tools that they need. And so we partnered with Walmart, and they offer space in front of their buildings, or sometimes even inside when it's really hot out for participating schools—[the stores allow them] to bring students, parents, and volunteers to come [and] just ask folks as they're shopping for their own school supplies, if maybe they can throw in a few extra to help their schools.”
We also spoke with Mr. Darden, a teacher at Sikeston High School, about the needs he sees in the area, from his perspective.
“Every year, I have seen dozens of kids who cannot afford basic school supplies like pencils and paper. For some, back to school can put significant pressure on families, especially those with multiple kids. And kids need more than just a single pack of pencils and a few notebooks—they need binders and folders to keep work organized. They need colored pens, markers, and highlighters for color-coding notes and highlighting information".
This year, Sikeston Schools, like many other schools in the area, will require students to have clear backpacks to help prevent unwanted items from entering the classrooms. The new safety measure is designed to keep children safe, but he says it's yet another expense to families.
Darden says he is grateful for programs like Stuff The Bus for helping to meet the needs of Sikeston's students, and encourages everyone to remember their experience as a student.
"How many times had a teacher given you supplies, often paid out of their own pocket? If you are able, please donate whatever you can”, he said.
Top 10 Items Needed
- single-subject notebooks
- mechanical pencils
- filler paper
- two-pocket folders
- ink pens
- Crayola 24-count crayons
- two-pack of pink erasers
- bottle of school glue
- scissors
- three-pack of glue sticks
