That’s a lot of Glue Sticks!

Help thousands of local children get a good start to the school year by donating some new school supplies or hygiene products.

In 2017, approximately 4,000 local children (grades K-12) at 26 schools benefited from the more than 62,000 school supplies distributed.

That’s a lot of glue sticks! Stuff the Bus is a United Way of Southwest Minnesota (UWSWMN) initiative and benefits public, private and charter school students in the UWSWMN service area.

School staff ensures the supplies from the UWSWMN effort reach those who really need extra support within their district.

Families in need of supplies should contact their respective school district directly, after August 9, regarding distribution dates/process as this varies from district to district.

School supplies most needed this year include backpacks and financial contributions.

Other useful and needed supplies include: folders, colored pencils, markers, disinfectant wipes, tissues, notebooks-college and wide ruled, pink erasers, eraser toppers, pens (blue/black/red), pencils, pencil boxes, highlighters, scissors and hygiene products.

Generous support from the area also makes this annual initiative successful.

Multiple churches, organizations, businesses and employee groups collect supplies and financial donations. Community members are encouraged to pick up a few supplies and drop them in marked donation barrels or boxes to help the effort.

Every folder, glue stick or package of erasers makes a difference. Donation barrels and boxes are located at: Shopko; Wal-Mart; Marshall Area YMCA; Menards; Bremer Bank; SW/WC Service Cooperative—Market Street Mall; Hy-Vee; Lockwood Motors; Minnwest Bank--Marshall; Dawson Drug & Gift; St. Stephen Lutheran Church—Marshall; First Lutheran Church—Marshall; Bank of the West—Ivanhoe, Marshall, and Minneota; Kilowatt Community Center—Granite Falls; Sanford Medical Center—Canby Campus; Fulda Public Library; ACMC--Marshall; Jim’s Market—Slayton; Lyon-Lincoln Electric Cooperative— Tyler; and the United Way of Southwest Minnesota office. Collection containers will be in place through August 3.

Additionally, there will be a collection container at the Taste of Italy Community Dinner on August 1 and Lincoln County 4-H will collect supplies at the Lincoln County Fair, August 2-5, 2018.

Direct contributions (noted on the memo line for school supply purchase) can be sent to United Way of Southwest MN, P.O. Box 41, Marshall, MN 56258 or online at www.UnitedWaySWMN.org.

You can also text STUFFTHEBUS to 313131 and give financially that way.

Donations are accepted year round for this project and help us purchase necessary additional items in bulk at a low cost.