HELENA — The annual Stuff the Bus campaign for Helena area schools is starting Thursday. The campaign benefits students throughout the area, allowing them school supplies so they can keep up with their studies.
Janet Riis, director of The Angel Fund, explained, “Having school supplies for the students when they start the first day of class is so important because if they don't have what they need to be successful they just fall behind."
This will be the 17th year The Angel Fund’s Stuff the Bus has helped give students necessary school supplies. Before Covid, they used to literally stuff a bus with school supplies. Since Covid, The Angel Fund now gives out grants based on requests from schools.
“We found that it really works out so much better for the schools because they can purchase exactly what they need,” says Riis.
These donations help to give children the school supplies they need to succeed in the classroom. And this year, Riis is expecting more of a need in comparison to other years.
“Just like your groceries and your gas goes up in price so do school supplies, so do clothes to get to school, you know, running shoes so you can be physically active on the playground,” says Riis.
This year’s goal is to raise $60,000. So far, grant requests from schools have already added up to about $50,000. The campaign runs from June 15th – August 4th. Donations can be made to The Angel Fund, through Valley Bank of Helena which is matching up to $5,000, and at any of The Angel Fund’s 3 fundraisers this summer.
