LAFAYETTE, La. — United Way of Acadiana stuffed a bus with school supplies for local teachers and school bus drivers.
"Just going to be thankful that United Way is adding the bus drivers into their drive to be able to help us as well," said Rogers Doucet, a Lafayette Parish school bus driver.
You might already be aware of the supplies teachers need for their classrooms, but what do bus drivers need?
"Like, sanitizing stuff: Lysol spray; Handi Wipes for in case the kids get nasty, and you have to wipe them up; paper towels to be able to clean up a mess if there's a mess; anything that's going to be sanitizing to be able to help the kids out," Doucet said.
United Way of Acadiana is trying to stock the buses and the classrooms.
"We know that in the community there's always school supplies for our students and everything, but nobody thinks of the teachers that have to spend their own money to fill in gaps," said Melody Corville, the community impact coordinator for United Way of Acadiana.
To help fill those gaps—
"We got together with local businesses to start a collection drive for school supplies to kind of alleviate some of that...financial responsibility on the teachers, and it's our way of giving back to our teachers, which in turn, help our students," Corville said.
And this isn't just for teachers and bus drivers in Lafayette Parish.
"Of course, we are also doing it for all five of our parishes...Acadia, Iberia, Lafayette, Vermilion and St. Martin," Corville said.
United Way of Acadiana collected supplies through local businesses over the last month in order to stuff the bus.
United Way of Acadiana's Day of Action is Saturday, June 29, where volunteers will help sort and organize the supplies in preparation for teachers from all five parishes to come in for "shopping days," where they can pick up the supplies they need.
Though the formal drive is over, you can still donate by bringing school supplies directly to the United Way of Acadiana warehouse at 215 E. Pinhook Rd. in Lafayette.
You can also shop United Way of Acadiana's school supply wish list by clicking here.
Or, if you would like to make a monetary donation to the Stuff the Bus fund, click here.
