Stuff the Bus event part of final push to prepare students for new school year
There will be a school bus outside the Lakeway Fred Meyer from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday. It’s the final part of the Back2Basics campaign, an effort by Opportunity Council and Blue Skies for Children to collect school supplies and household basics for families in need before the start of the new school year. The goal is to pack the bus with as much supplies as possible.
Emily Martens, communications coordinator at Opportunity Council, said the two host organizations work with school districts to distribute the supplies over the course of the year. Opportunity Council has been part of the campaign for almost 20 years, and this year donations have been collected at 20 different locations across Whatcom County.
“We’re really grateful because we’ve had so many folks step up, different businesses step up to host the drives,” Martens said.
Financial donations are also accepted for individual needs that come up throughout the year. Those costs can include things like school fees, driver’s ed, ASB cards and field trips. Families in need of the supplies can access them through their school district’s family resource center.
Anyone looking to make a donation can stop by the event at 800 Lakeway Drive. For those outside Bellingham, there will be a similar event at the Walmart in Oak Harbor from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 17, Financial donations are also accepted online, and Blue Skies for Children has an Amazon wishlist of items.
Martens said the most-needed items are laundry detergent, soap, deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, toilet paper, backpacks, winter coats and new shoes. The full list of accepted items is below:
- Laundry Detergent
- Dish Soap
- Toilet Paper
- Paper Towels
- Adult and Children’s Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash
- Deodorant
- Adult and Children’s Toothpaste and Toothbrushes
- Period supplies
- New Shoes and Socks
- New Cold-Weather Clothing like Coats, Hats, & Gloves
- Lice Treatment Kits
“We all need a little help sometimes, and a lot of families are having a hard time making ends meet right now. We could all be there at some point,” Martens said. “It’s really important to be investing in our future, in our kids.”
This story was originally published August 9, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
