Help United Way Stuff the Bus

A ritual of late summer for parents and guardians of school-aged youngsters is a shopping trip for supplies.

And those supply lists seem to get longer — and more expensive — each year.

Enter United Way of Southeast Missouri.

UW is again sponsoring its annual Stuff the Bus school supply drive. The drive collects supplies for area children in need and comes during the state’s tax-free weekend, during which certain school-related items are exempt from sales taxes.

This year’s event will be Saturday, Aug. 3, at participating Walmart locations in Cape Girardeau, Fredericktown, Jackson, Kennett, Malden, Perryville, Poplar Bluff and Sikeston.

Representatives of schools throughout the region will be on hand to encourage shoppers to purchase extra supplies for the drive. Some will have school buses present as visual reminders of the drive.

The supplies go to area schools, and officials there will distribute them to those in need.

Needed supplies include single-subject notebooks, mechanical pencils, filler paper, two-pocket folders, ink pens, Crayola 24-count crayons, two-pack of pink erasers, school glue, scissors and three-pack of glue sticks.

Can’t make it to one of the collection sites Saturday? No problem. Visit www.bit.ly/stuff-the-bus-semo24 to make a financial donation.

Young people and their parents/guardians have plenty on their plate as a new school year rolls around. They shouldn’t have to stress over supplies.

Support United Way’s Stuff the Bus if you can.