Stuff the Bus and help Monterey County homeless children with school supplies

There are more than 7,000 students considered homeless in Monterey County, and the yearly "Stuff the Bus" campaign helps collect school supplies to make sure they are ready for classes come August.

The campaign is spearheaded by the Monterey County Office of Education and United Way Monterey County, and it asks community members to donate school supplies or money to buy those supplies for needy children.

Donations of paper, pens, pencils, notebooks and backpacks will be received at any of the school collection "buses" placed in banks, credit unions and other local businesses during the month of July. There's also collection "buses" in most libraries. For a complete list of drop-off sites, click here.

All the collected school supplies will be sorted, and stuffed into backpacks on Aug. 1 at MCOE for distribution during the first week of school.

For the first time, people may make donations via text. Text STB15 to 71777.

And for more information, click here.  You can also volunteer to help stuff the backpacks.