In 10th year, initiative helped 7,000 students start their year primed for success
United Way of Long Island’s Stuff-A-Bus program, in partnership with Suffolk Transportation Service, Inc. celebrated 10 years of helping young students succeed by donating 175,000 critical school supplies to 7,000 students across Long Island, surpassing any prior year. On September 7, volunteers along with members of United Way’s Board of Directors loaded buses with 1,000 boxes filled with supplies including pencils, markers, notebooks, rulers and backpacks that were collected over the course of the summer and delivered them to nine schools across seven districts: Brentwood, Copiague, Wyandanch, Central Islip, South Huntington, Huntington, Longwood and South Country.
“If a student does not have the tools they need to succeed at the start of the school year, they could lack confidence and the desire to learn because they feel they aren’t adequately prepared, or not as smart as the kids with the new notebooks” said Theresa A. Regnante, President and CEO of United Way of Long Island. “In 10 years, Stuff-A-Bus has helped deliver 750,000 supplies to 32,000 children – children who were filled with self-esteem because their desks were full.”
“I could have never imagined that Stuff-A-Bus would have this tremendous impact when we started 10 years ago,” said John Corrado, President of Suffolk Transportation Service, Inc. “I am incredibly proud to have been part of this program from the start, and to see all the lives that have been touched by something as small as a pencil.”
“The students here at Loretta Park Elementary School are so grateful to United Way of Long Island’s Stuff-A-Bus program – they couldn’t wait to unpack all their new things and get started using them,” said Bob McCarthy, Principal of Loretta Park Elementary School in Brentwood. “The value of an education is immeasurable, and our staff can feel confident knowing that kids in their class all have the opportunity to grow and learn this year.”
Sponsors for Stuff-A-Bus included:
Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LP, Suffolk Transportation Service, Inc., East End Bus Lines, Educational Bus Transportation Inc., Educational Bus Transportation Inc. Oerlikon Metco (US) Inc.
Partners included:
Alba Wheels Up International Inc., AllState, Atlas Financial Holdings, Inc., C N A Insurance, Capital One, Child Care Council of Nassau, Circor Aerospace & Defense, ClearVision Optical, Disc Graphics, Inc., Empire Racing LLC, Empire National Bank, Empire National Bank, Empire National Bank, EverBank, Garfunkel Wild, GEICO, Girl Scout Troops 3704, 1234, 1515, & 1432, Hedgehog Development, LLC., HempsteadWorks, Huntington Coach, LLC, Jaspan Schlesinger LLP, KWI, Legal Aid Society, Long Island Nets, Mackoul Risk Solutions, MAG Millennium Alliance Group, LLC, Merchants Insurance, MSC Industrial Supply Co., New Vitality, Newsday Media Group, Paychex, People's United Bank, Petro, Piaser Family, Pier 1, Posillico, Precipart, PSEG Long Island, randstad USA, RWDSU Local 338, Sales Master Flooring Solutions, Sartorius Stedim North America Inc., SCLAS, Scully, Scott, Murphy & Presser, P.C., Star Gas, Telephonics, THE BOXERY, The Carey Family, The White Family, Travelers, Tristate Office Products, UPS Supply Chain Solutions, Verizon Wireless, and Village Office Supply.
To learn more about Stuff-A-Bus, visit www.unitedwayli.org/stuffabus.