EVERETT JULY 12: The Everett Public Schools Foundation (EPSF) will pack over 3,000 backpacks with school supplies for students and families this August as part of its “Stuff the Bus for Kids: Back to School Supplies Drive.”
For the past 15 years, EPSF has filled and delivered backpacks with essential school items to prepare elementary, middle and high schoolers for the upcoming school year, according to Kirsten Hansen, EPSF Development Manager.
When Hansen began running this program 13 years ago, they had about 1,200 backpacks to fill. “Every year the need just keeps going up and up and up,” Hansen said. As of July 10, 3,113 backpacks need to be filled out at the request of the schools within the district.
This program supports about 2,000 homeless students and 250 unaccompanied youth within the Everett Public Schools Hansen said.
“Having backpacks and supplies really does affect attendance. We hear that students are embarrassed and don’t like to come to school if they don’t have a backpack or something to carry their things in,” Hansen said, “It affects how they feel and [The program] takes away that financial barrier.”
Hansen said that donations for this program are down this year compared to previous.
EPSF collects brand-new school supplies like paper, crayons, spiral notebooks, pencils and more. To see what they accept, see here.
“Everyone deserves to go to school with a backpack no matter what. If they need a backpack, no questions asked, they get a backpack,” Hansen said.
The weekend of August 9,10 and 11, volunteers and community partners will stuff two to three buses with backpacks. A bus will be in front of the Fred Meyer off the Bothell-Everett Highway and QFC on Evergreen Way, where shoppers can purchase items to donate after their shopping trip.
“We couldn’t do this without our community that’s for sure,” Hansen said.
You can donate on the EPSF website through PayPal or a donation form. You can also volunteer by contacting Hansen at [email protected]. If you plan to donate, EPSF asks for items on their list so they can ensure each backpack has what it needs.
Roughly a dozen local businesses run a company supply drive in support of the Stuff the Bus Drive. If your business is interested in next year’s drive, reach out to Hansen.
Backpacks will be delivered to schools on August 13. Each school distributes backpacks differently, so if you are in need of a backpack contact your students’ school.
“We want every student in the Everett Public School district to have the tools and resources they need to succeed,” Hansen said, “We don’t want income to be a barrier to being able to learn. We want kids to not have to worry about where they are at financially. This program takes the burden off the student and families.”
