BREAUX BRIDGE, La. — The St. Martin Parish School Board was filled with notebooks, highlighters, binders—everything teachers and students need to go back to school.
"Today, I am here to take what is missing in my classroom," said Elizabeth Bonny, a French immersion kindergarten teacher at Cecilia Primary School.
That's what United Way of Acadiana's Stuff the Bus is all about.
Back in June, UWA was in Lafayette, stuffing a bus with donated school supplies that teachers need for the school year.
"And then, on their specific shopping days, they come, and they are able to pick out the supplies that they need for their classrooms, in order to, kind of, mitigate the financial burden that they have to fill their classrooms during their school year," said Melody Courville, UWA's community impact and volunteer coordinator.
It's a burden that can be heavy on teachers.
How much, exactly, can teachers spend on supplies for their classrooms?
"A lot. A lot, a lot. Actually we have what we call teacher wish lists, and I have two, actually, and if I sum everything, it's more (than) $1,000," Bonny said.
But, events like Teacher Shopping Days help to relieve that burden for local educators, students and parents.
"Parents are asked to bring some school supplies at the beginning of the year, but some doesn't have enough money to bring all that we ask, so the fact that I can grab some crayons—more crayons—that I can grab some rulers, things like that, helps me during the year when the kids doesn't have enough," Bonny said.
The United Way of Acadiana Teacher Shopping Days supply teachers in Acadia, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Martin and Vermilion parishes.
There are back-to-school events and supply drives all throughout Acadiana to help students, parents and teachers to prepare for the new school year. To see a list of those events, click here.
