SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - School doesn’t start for another month, but the need is already here.

The 14th annual Stuff the Bus campaign is underway. The United Way of Pioneer Valley, in partnership with Western Mass News, is collecting backpacks and school supplies to help kids in need.

Stuff the Bus includes 15 partnering school districts across Hampden County, South Hadley and Granby. Each district is a McKinney-Vento district, meaning they have a federally required coordinator to work with homeless children in those schools.

United Way is planning to fill about 700 backpacks this year. Their chief officer Lee Drewitz said this is one big effort that truly brings the community together.

“There’s no kid who chooses to be unhoused,” he said. “That’s a situation that unfortunately has been placed upon them. I think, as community members, we can all agree that it’s the least we can do to help support them by giving them backpacks and school supplies.”

Pencil cases and erasers are the supplies that are most needed, but you can find a whole list of requested supplies here.

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