United Way, Peter Pan Team up for ‘Stuff the Bus’

Starting early this morning, the United Way of Pioneer Valley and Peter Pan Bus Lines will deliver more than 2,000 backpacks filled with donated school supplies to six separate school districts. These backpacks are given to students who are homeless.

School supplies were collected all summer at various locations throughout the Pioneer Valley. The school supplies were stuffing into backpacks purchased using a generous donation from Health New England. Students from the Westover Job Corps in Chicopee will be riding on the Peter Pan Bus and delivering all 2,000 backpacks.

“We’re incredibly energized by our work with the Stuff the Bus initiative. Now its eighth year, we are proud to partner once again with Peter Pan Bus Lines, Western Mass News, Six Flags New England and Health New England,” said United Way of Pioneer Valley CEO Jim Ayres. “We’ve been touched by the community’s outpouring of donations and volunteer hours as we have collected, organized and distributed more than 20,000 back to school items. Moreover, we know that, together, we have touched the lives of 2,000 students who are homeless in our local community and have sent them the message that we are here for them and invested in their future learning and success.”