Thanks for Helping Us Stuff the Bus for Chicagoland Students in Need
On August 3, dozens of Salvation Army staff and volunteers collected school supplies for students in need at more than 40 Walmart locations throughout Chicago, northern Illinois, and northwestern Indiana.
From 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., we received donations of pencils, paper, notebooks, backpacks and more as generous Walmart shoppers filled our bins to overflowing. The supplies will be distributed at more than a dozen back-to-school events at Salvation Army Corps community centers throughout the area. Find a complete list of those events here.
Throughout the day, Salvation Army staff and volunteers collected 3,255 #2 pencils, 282 backpacks, 1,319 sets of markers, 3,507 boxes of crayons, 4,695 folders, 1,003 rulers, 5,474 spiral notebooks, as well as thousands of other supplies and $8,175 in cash donations placed in our Red Kettles. We were blown away by people's generosity.
Lieutenant Nancy Rivera, corps officer at the Chicago Mayfair Corps Community Church, collected items at the Walmart on Diversey and put the importance of the day into perspective. "Some kids, when they don't have these items, they believe they can't accomplish as much. Them receiving these things equals success,” she said. “When they receive the supplies, their faces light up. They have new confidence and belief in what they can do. For their entire family, this one bit of help gives them hope, helps them continue forward. We're all for it!"
One of the donations she accepted was from 7-year-old Kevin, who not only volunteered to help collect school supplies from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., but also donated colored pencils, pencil boxes, and a backpack. As he put his gift in the collection bin, he said he hopes it helps other kids learn how to color.
We are grateful for the overwhelming generosity of our Salvation Army friends who made Stuff the Bus a success and will ensure a great school year for countless students.
See our Stuff the Bus photo album
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