Written by San Diego County Credit Union (SDCCU)

Kids face many hardships and back-to-school supplies should not be one of them. That’s why SDCCU Stuff the Bus is being held this year throughout July!

As an engaged community partner, SDCCU is proud to support many non-profit organizations and causes throughout Southern California. Supporting the community is a cornerstone of who they are and they are especially focused on supporting education to help students achieve a successful financial future, in addition to helping the community and economy thrive for years to come.

One of the ways they do this is through SDCCU Stuff the Bus, a program launched in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education and iHeartMedia radio stations in support of Live Well San Diego, to collect monetary donations to purchase back-to-school supplies for students experiencing homelessness in San Diego County.

Last year, SDCCU collected a total of $130,900 which was used to fill 7,724 backpacks, and provide over 2,000 Passion Planners, 24,000 face masks and a total of 216,912 school supplies to better prepare students for success as they started back to school. To set students up for success in the distance learning environment implemented during COVID-19, SDCCU was also able to purchase more than 3,600 headphone sets and earbuds with the remaining funds from the campaign. These listening devices were requested by several districts to assist students experiencing homelessness to allow them easier access to classes. Many of these students were either in noisy or crowded home settings, or needed assistance to help concentrate in the distance learning environment. More than 20,000 school-age children were identified as homeless during the last school year. Homelessness for school-age children can mean living in a shelter, sharing a residence with multiple families, living in a car or trailer or sharing a room in an apartment with relatives. Homelessness is not limited to urban, downtown San Diego—it also affects suburban school districts all over the county.

For more information and to learn how to get involved with Stuff the Bus, visit SDCCU’s website here: https://www.sdccu.com/