Hundreds donate food, school supplies at District Five Stuff-A-Bus event
August 11, 2014
IRMO, SC – Hundreds of community members donated food items and school supplies at a recent Stuff-A-Bus event sponsored by Lexington-Richland School District Five, the District Five Foundation and Walmart.
The group held a Stuff-A-Bus event August 1 and August 2 at both the Harbison and Ballentine Walmart locations to help children in need get ready for school and stay healthy. Volunteers from Walmart, District Five and the District Five Foundation worked together at the event to collect the items and talk with community members about a shared interest in supporting students.
“It was a tremendous show of support and caring by our community, and District Five is so grateful for all the items that will go to our needy students this school year,” said District Five spokesman Mark Bounds. “We have many families that struggle to buy school supplies for their children and unfortunately many that struggle to keep food in their homes. Through this effort and the caring community we have in District Five, we not only stuffed a bus – we stuffed two buses for our students in need.”
Donors Lisa Marie Vilardi and Mariah Arant said they gave items because they wanted to provide students with tools to be successful.
“I don’t have any children of my own but I know there are kids out there that need support,” Vilardi said. “I don’t mind doing what I can for other people’s children, and it’s just a good cause. They need supplies and good healthy food in their bellies.”
Arant, who donated after shopping for school supplies with her two children, added: “We just wanted to do something really nice for somebody else today. We have money to share, and we wanted to make sure that students – no matter who or where they are – have what they need to succeed.”
The school supplies will be given to needy students to help get them ready for the new school year, and the food items will be used in the district’s Snack Pack Food Program, which provides weekend food supplies to disadvantaged students. Currently, over 600 students receive assistance from the Snack Pack program.
District Five Foundation President Paula Hite said, “This effort will help students get off to a great start for the new school year and will give them the sustenance they need to keep going all year long. District Five is fortunate to have a community that is caring and committed to our schools, and we’re very grateful to all those who donated.”
