Stuff the Bus Event This Weekend at Akron Children’s

BOARDMAN, Ohio — To prepare local students for the new school year, the Educational Service Center of Eastern Ohio is hosting a ‘Stuff the Bus’ event at Akron Children’s Hospital Beeghly Campus.

The event is scheduled for Aug. 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will take place Parking Lot A at the campus. Supplies collected from the event and through donations from local businesses will be distributed to local districts that service children in kinship and foster care.

“Students in foster and kinship care are among the most vulnerable student populations with resounding impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Ashley Mariano, prevention coordinator at ESCEO. “Our goal is to reduce barriers in the lives of these children and help properly prepare them for a successful school year. Providing teachers and districts with information and resources to offer all children equitable educational opportunities is at the core of the ESC of Eastern Ohio’s prevention initiatives.”

Common items on supply lists for local districts include pencils, erasers, crayons, markers, scissors, glue sticks, notebooks, composition books, dry erase markers, headphones, backpacks, pencil pouches or boxes, highlighters, folders, binders and notebook paper. Mahoning Valley businesses are also collecting supplies and donations for the campaign.

“We thank Akron Children’s Hospital for providing a wonderful centralized location for the dropoff and Boardman Local Schools for offering a bus for the event,” Mariano said. “We look forward to being able to provide supplies these students need to complete classwork and assignments as they get ready to head back to the classroom in a few weeks.”

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.