With thousands of local students experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education (Santa Cruz COE) and United Way of Santa Cruz County are once again joining forces to Stuff the Bus—a community-wide campaign to provide students with the school supplies they need to succeed.
Starting July 1, the community is invited to support the 16th Annual Stuff the Bus campaign by donating funds or dropping off new backpacks and school supplies at designated collection points. This year’s campaign aims to raise $50,000 throughout the month to provide 2,500 filled backpacks, including direct supply donations. Each $30 donation provides a new backpack filled with essential school supplies.
“No student in Santa Cruz County should have to start the school year without the supplies they need to succeed,” said Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Faris Sabbah. “As the cost of living continues to rise, so too do the needs of our students. From homelessness to housing and food insecurity, these
challenges are significant—but with our community’s support, we know we can rise to meet them.”
Santa Cruz County continues to face a severe housing crisis, contributing to high rates of homelessness and housing insecurity. In 2023, the National Low Income Housing Coalition named Santa Cruz County as the least affordable rental market in the nation. According to the latest available data, from 2023-24, 2,719 students in Santa Cruz County are experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. That accounts for roughly one out of every 15 students in grades TK-12.
Homeless students in California face steep barriers to academic success. They are nearly twice as likely to be chronically absent and more than twice as likely to drop out as their housed peers. The Stuff the Bus campaign helps address these inequities by ensuring students have the essential supplies they need to show up and stay engaged in school.
“Stuff the Bus is a clear reflection of United Way’s mission to uplift lives and strengthen our community. In my first year leading this campaign, I’m proud to launch it through our United4Youth and United4Community initiatives, which focus on the well-being of children and families,” said United Way CEO Yvette Brooks. “A backpack is more than school supplies—it’s a step toward a strong start to the school year and a message that every child deserves to thrive. Thank you to our partners for your continued support and belief in that vision.”
Stuff the Bus culminates with a Stuff-A-Thon event on August 2 at Kaiser Permanente Arena, where teams of volunteers will work to fill backpacks with the donated supplies, ready for distribution to students in need. The Stuff-A-Thon is hosted in partnership with the Santa Cruz Warriors and UPS.
For more information about Stuff the Bus and how to get involved as a donor, volunteer, or corporate sponsor, visit unitedwaysc.org/stb.