Community asked to Stuff the Bus
(L-R) Aleisha Lalor, of Caribbean Alliance, and Ania Milanowska, of Crisis Centre, during 2017 drive
(CNS Local Life): It is almost time for “Stuff the Bus”, an annual initiative to collect school supplies for children in need. During the campaign, which will kick off 1 August, the public is asked to help fill a school bus with such items as backpacks, notebooks, crayons, pens, pencils and lunch boxes.
Last year’s initiative collected 14,490 school supply items which were presented to various organisations for distribution to families with children needing assistance.
Campaign sponsor Caribbean Alliance Insurance, which partners with Hurley’s Media and Whittaker’s Transportation, is dedicated to helping Cayman’s schools, teachers and students by hosting this yearly back-to-school initiative, stated a press release.
This year’s donation drive will run between 1 and 18 August and will be accepting supplies for children ranging from ages 6 to 16.
The organisations that will receive this year’s donations are the Department of Children and Family Services, the Needs Assessment Unit, the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre, the Frances Bodden Children’s Home and Bonaventure Boys Home.
Donated supplies can be dropped off at boxes at the Caribbean Alliance office at 203 Alissta Towers, Cost-U-Less or Hurley’s Media in Camana Bay, or can be handed directly to event organisers and charity group representatives that will be hosting drive events at various locations on Grand Cayman on 4, 11 and 18 August.
Below are lists of supplies needed, separated by age group.
Primary schools, ages 6-12:
- Pencil boxes
- Crayons
- Coloured pencils
- Highlighters
- Washable markers
- 2 pencils
- Ballpoint pens
- Pencil sharpener
- Erasers
- Glue sticks
- Ruler
- Blunt-tipped scissors
- Plastic folders
- Wide-ruled notebook or pad
- Three-ring binder
- Index cards
- Backpacks
- Lunchbox or bag
Middle and high school, ages 12-16
- Blue or black ballpoint pens
- Highlighters
- Permanent markers
- Three-ring binder
- Three-hole-punch
- Loose-leaf paper or spiral notebooks
- Graph paper
- Subject dividers
- Index cards
- Plastic folders
- Post-Its
- White-Out
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Graphing calculator
- Personal organiser/calendar
- Backpacks
For more information or to organise a mini-collection go to the Stuff the Bus Facebook page or call Caribbean Alliance on 949-9744
