Stuffing Bus With School Supplies

Abundant Life church is stuffing a bus with school supplies for children of Barrington’s TAP-IN clients all over the East Bay – approximately 400 families.

“Our goal is literally to stuff the bus with school supplies on Aug. 19,” said Jessica Rook of Barrington, who is spearheading the back-to-school campaign for the New Meadow Road church on the Barrington-Swansea line.

Between today and Aug. 18, Rook said, the church is asking local people and businesses to donate supplies for kids who need some help.

The church also has joined forces with TD Bank, which is giving out bags for the school supplies, and Ocean State Transit, which has parked a school bus in front of the church that will be stuffed on Sunday, Aug. 19, from 1 to 3 pm.

“Some of these kids may not go to the school the first few days because they won’t have these supplies, and they don’t want other kids to know that,” said the Rev. Dave Aucoin.

“Stuff the Bus” is actually a national effort that has never been tried in Rhode Island before, said Rook. “We thought: What a great event for TAP-IN.”

The effort actually has been launched. More than 140 backpacks have been donated already, said Rook.

But the backpacks certainly won’t stuff the bus, she said. Plenty of other school supplies are needed.

Here is a list: #2 pencils, 24-pack crayons, glue sticks and white glue, tissues, erasers, wide-ruled notebooks, 2-pocket folders, colored pencils, scissors, wide-ruled loose-leaf paper, rulers, pens, highlighters, 1-inch binders, subject dividers, scientific calculators, pocket dictionaries, pencil sharpeners, whiteout, felt markers, hand sanitizer, socks and underwear.

You can also make cash donations to a special account set up at TD Bank in Barrington, said Rook.

“Kids are our future,” she said. “This is all about service and helping them in a really great way.”

Contact stuffthebusri@gmail.com for more information or visit their Facebook page "STUFF THE BUS RI.” You can also call the church Monday through Friday between 9 am and 4 pm at 508-379-0780.