Tommy Moffitt of Santa Cruz was proud of himself Saturday morning, a big smile on his face as he carried six backpacks—one on his back, one on his front and two each on his outstretched arms—through Kaiser Permanente Arena to be filled with school supplies for kids in need.
That was until he saw Hector Garcia of Salinas, who was somehow carrying 10 backpacks, his friends stuffing them with pencils and pens, markers and folders and other paraphernalia a young person might need for the coming school year.
From that moment until the three-hour Stuff the Bus event ended, the two men shouted their latest haul to each other as they passed on their way to a waiting bus.
It was a laughing, light-hearted game of one-upmanship that matched the energy of more than 200 volunteers who were helping out.
Sponsored by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education and United Way of Santa Cruz, the 13-year-old event was created to make sure that young people facing hard times can be prepared for the coming school year.
In all, the volunteers filled more than 2,500 backpacks, which are being distributed by the SCCOE.
“We have so many youth experiencing homelessness and other hardships, and they deserve to have something new to start the school year off right,” says United Way Director of Resource Development and Marketing Dawn Bruckel.
The number of volunteers has grown every year since the event began, Bruckel says.
Juan Castillo, part of United Way’s Emerging Leaders Circle, came to the event with several of his colleagues.
“Having school supplies is basic, but it’s so fundamental, and if we’re able to provide that, why not,” he says. “It’s amazing working with different people. It feels like the community is getting together to support the kids in our community.”
Sandra Magana of Watsonville came to volunteer with her daughter, Galilea Torres Magana.
The United Way helped them recently when Magana’s husband died, she says, and she wanted to return the favor.
“I want to teach her to give back after the support we received after that loss,” she says.
For information, visit unitedwaysc.org. To request a backpack, contact Erika Cortes at [email protected] or 466.5666.
