Hey there, Bowling Green! 20 Years of “Stuff the Bus” Makes a Difference
Stuff the Bus, a decade-long initiative in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is turning twenty this year and that’s something to cheer about! Imagining a man sleeping overnight in a bus for collecting school supplies back in 2005 is what got this thing rolling. Now, we’ve got our paws in counties all across the place in South Central Kentucky.
Who’s the brain behind all this? A man named Tony Rose, the founder of Stuff the Bus. You can bet this guy never thought he’d see where we are now, twenty years later. “In my wildest dreams I would have never imagined something like this would be possible,” says Tony. “Now, 20 years later, we’re no longer just a summer-time, school supply-collecting operation… we’re a 501c3 nonprofit operation running all year round. We’re all about feeding families during the holidays and giving money to classrooms whenever they need it. What a journey!”
All kids deserve the best! That’s been the driving force for Stuff the Bus right from day one. We’ve been adamant about making sure all students have a fair shout at getting the best possible education. And this has spun out to mean way more than just piling up school supplies. There’s food on the table during Thanksgiving and scholarships for high school whiz kids aiming to grab more learning.
There’s been plenty of love for the foundation’s work, in fact, Rob Clayton, Superintendent of Warren County Public Schools, says he’s seen firsthand how students have benefited. “It’s been pretty special to see how far Tony and the team have come over the last few years… and the best thing is, Tony no longer needs to sleep on the bus like he used to!”
Stuff the Bus is all about making sure we’re not singling out students that need a little extra help. Any kid should feel comfortable in getting the help they need to succeed. That’s what we’re here for.
As you can imagine, Tony’s head is jam-packed with memories from all these years, and he shares one special story with us. “We saw a seven-year-old girl years back, who raised money through a lemonade stand… And now, all these years later, she’s the one getting one of our annual scholarships. It was pretty special to see somebody who gave so selflessly as a child, and we could give back to her in her future education,” says Tony.
So, we’ve had a blast in the last twenty years, but that’s just the start. We’re looking ahead to the next two decades with our hearts set on making an even bigger impact. “We are much more than just school supplies. Our impact goes way beyond just the month of July; we’re making a difference in schools every month of the year.” And with that, we’re leaving no stone unturned.
For more information on Stuff the Bus, or if you’re feeling a tad bit generous, make sure to visit their website.
