Volunteers from Rosco Vision Systems joined United Way of Long Island staff to deliver school supplies for under-served children in honor of the September 11th National Day of Service & Remembrance. As part of United Way of Long Island’s Stuff-A-Bus program, volunteers helped load, over 50,000 assorted pieces of school supplies onto a school bus. The supplies then traveled to Cordello Elementary School in Central Islip as well as Loretta Park & Laurel Park Elementary Schools in Brentwood where children in need awaited the arrival of the tools they need for success.
As an organization devoted to improving the education of children in need, United Way of Long Island understands what it's like to go "back to school" lacking the tools to succeed. A child entering a class for the first time without the proper notebooks and writing utensils enters that class with apprehension, embarrassment and anxiety. Such distractions can impact the level of success a student achieves and can have a significant effect on a child's self-esteem. United Way of Long Island developed the Stuff-A-Bus program to improve the reality children who are underserved face when they go back to school. The average cost of a backpack and required school supplies is $80. For a family just barely able to pay for food and housing, this additional cost for two, three or four children is simply unattainable.
As many as four in ten households in Nassau and Suffolk have less family income than needed to buy necessities. Countless, hard working Long Island families struggle to pay necessary bills and many are unable to afford school supplies for their children. United Way of Long Island's Stuff-A-Bus campaign directly assists these children and families.