United Way of the Florida Keys and its community partners want to make sure that Monroe County students have the supplies they need to succeed at their studies. That’s why they launched “Stuff the Bus,” an effort that produced truckloads of school supplies distributed in September 2014 to all 16 Monroe County public schools from Key Largo to Key West. 

United Way volunteers showed up early at the Florida Keys Electric Cooperative facility in Marathon and loaded their vehicles with pens, pencils, paper, backpacks, binders, notebooks and other school supplies that had been collected in the “Stuff the Bus” drive. They were welcomed with open arms by the schools who received the items. The items were collected in “Stuff the Bus” boxes at businesses throughout the Keys and at several “Stuff the Bus” events, such as a party at the Hard Rock Café in Key West. About $15,000 worth of school supplies were distributed—almost double the amount that were distributed last year.

“This was truly a Keys-wide community effort,” said Margie Smith, United Way President. “I would like to say a special thank-you to Publix for contributing supplies through its ‘Tools for Schools’ promotion, to Office Depot for giving us deep discounts on the items we purchased, and to our volunteers from the Florida Keys Electric Cooperative and Iberia Bank who spent most of a day sorting and delivering supplies.” The bulk of the supplies were provided by 41 community sponsors who donated at least $250 in cash or supplies, Smith continued, “and literally hundreds of people up and down the Keys who also contributed cash or supplies. This kind of cooperation is part of what makes the Keys such a special place.” 

A complete list of “Stuff the Bus” sponsors included AHA Sales, Inc., American Legion Marathon, Bank of America, Centennial Bank, Community Bank, Doc’s Diner, Fishermen’s Hospital, Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority, Florida Keys Electric Cooperative, Girls Night Out Radio Show, Green Pineapple and Lush Bar, Hard Rock Café Key West, Helpline/211, Iberia Bank, Islamorada Chamber of Commerce, Islamorada Fire Rescue, Islamorada Post Office, Islamorada Village of Islands, Key Largo Chamber of Commerce, Key Largo Chocolates, Key Largo Rotary Club, Key West Noon Rotary, Key West Sunset Rotary, Keys Federal Credit Union, Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce, Lower Keys Medical Center, Marathon and Lower Keys Association of Realtors, Marathon Chamber of Commerce, Mariners Hospital, Office Depot, Oo-tray Restaurant, Publix, Puerto Vallarta Mexican Bar and Grill, Ron Jon’s Surf Shop, Speakeasy Inn, Upper Keys Board of Realtors, Upper Keys BPW, Video Dave, Wells Fargo Bank and the Westin Key West Resort.