United Way collects 29,000 supplies for Caddo, Bossier students

United Way of Northwest Louisiana (UWNWLA) partnered with Bossier Parish Schools and Caddo Parish Public Schools for its annual Fill the Bus school supply drive. Within three weeks, the organization collected more than 29,000 school supplies with an impact value of $22,891 for students and teachers within the school districts.

Monetary donations resulted in $1,900 for the school systems to use on additional supplies. ANECA Federal Credit Union, Bossier Parish Libraries, National Wholesale Supply, Paragon Press, PJ’s Coffee, Regions Bank, RRCU, and Shreve Memorial Library aided the initiative by serving as public donation sites.   

UWNWLA’s Fill the Bus initiative, with the help of volunteer teachers, encourages Northwest Louisiana communities to shop at participating Walmart Supercenters to purchase and donate school supplies for local students. This initiative allows K-12 students in Bossier and Caddo parishes to start the upcoming school year with the basic tools needed for success. This year, 1,033 Walmart Shoppers donated school supplies.

Every year, the school districts decide how the supplies are distributed. Supplies collected for Bossier Schools went into their supply closet for teachers to choose from. Title 1 teachers from Caddo Schools who volunteered for the initiative took the supplies collected from their volunteer shift to place directly in their classrooms, where they often educate children in Caddo Schools’ McKinney-Vento program experiencing homelessness.

“I want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the community members who generously supported Fill the Bus,” said Raavin Evans, UWNWLA Director of Community Impact. “Your contributions will make a significant impact on the education of our students. We surpassed our goal this year and increased our impact because of YOU. We are truly thankful for your kindness and support. Thank you for coming together to make a difference!” 

Fill the Bus benefits more than 4,000 elementary, middle, and high school children identified as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) and/or families struggling to make ends meet. This initiative seeks to lessen the strain on already strapped household budgets. According to the National Retail Federation, families with K-12 children in the United States plan to spend $890 on school supplies, such as notebooks, pencils, backpacks, and lunchboxes.  

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